Representatives of Growth Energy, the Renewable Fuel Association and the U.S. Grains Council were in Tokyo last week trying to gauge the market potential there for U.S. ethanol. Growth Energy’s Chief Economist and Vice President Jim Miller was with the group and says exploratory efforts in Japan began last year.
Miller says Japan has three different forms of ethanol they’re currently using including E-10 on Okinawa, and E-3 in three of their states with the rest of the country using ETBE. He says while the U.S. could become a shipper of ethanol to Japan, there are some challenges to overcome.
Miller says another challenge is that earlier Japan signed a long term contract with Brazil to supply its ethanol needs. He says meetings of the type they had last week are important in establishing those important relationships the Japanese insist on when doing business with other countries.
