The U.S. Grains Council, along with the Renewable Fuels Association and Growth Energy, are asking for help in addressing China’s recent implementation of protectionist trade barriers that are shutting out U.S. exports of ethanol and distillers dried grains. U.S. Grains Council CEO Tom Sleight says they’re asking the incoming U.S. Trade Representative to put China’s recent actions near the top of the administration’s China trade agenda.

Last September, China imposed preliminary anti-dumping and countervailing duties on U.S. DDGS in response to a ruling against the U.S. on the dumping case they initiated in the WTO. Sleight says in a final ruling last month, China increased its DDGS anti-dumping duty to 42.2 to 53.7 percent and its DDGS countervailing duty to 11.2 to 12 percent.

Additionally, he says the tariffs on U.S. ethanol have increased from five percent to 30 to 40 percent.

The letter written to President Donald Trump states: “It is widely believed that raising these tariffs will put an immediate end to ethanol exports to China.” The groups ask the tariff rates be included in any potential upcoming trade negotiations with China.