Argentine biofuel production in 2021 continues to suffer from the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic which has reduced fuel demand, a prolonged domestic economic recession, and recent changes in policy. Bioethanol production is forecast at 980 million liters, which except for 2020, is the lowest volume since 2016. Biodiesel production in 2021 is projected at 1.54 billion liters, which except for 2020, is the lowest since 2010, when a blend mandate was first put in place. Exports are forecast at 1.1 billion liters, similar to 2019, prior to COVID-19. The EU continues to be the only market where Argentine biodiesel is being shipped and sales to additional markets are not anticipated due to the large price spread between diesel and soybean oil and import duties at some destinations. In July 2021, the Argentine Congress passed Law 27640, which will provide the government with the flexibility to reduce biofuel blend rates to as low as 9 percent for bioethanol and 3 percent for biodiesel.
Two draft Maximum Residue Limit (MRL) standards covering 64 and 26 pesticides, respectively, were released for domestic comment on August 10, 2021. The deadline for submitting comments is September 5, 2021. The commodities covered range from grains, and fruits and vegetables, to vegetable oils.
On March 31, 2021, the Government of Colombia issued a resolution to decrease the ethanol blend mandate from 10 percent (E10) to 4 percent (E4) starting on April 1, 2021, then gradually returning to E10 by September 2021. Colombia increased the blend mandate to E7 and E8 in July and August. On August 12, 2021, a new Government resolution decreased the ethanol blend mandate to E6 for a 3-month period starting in September 2021. The new measure will increase the blend mandate to E8 in December and to E10 in January 2022. Colombia attributes these necessary measures to changes in the local supply of sugar-based ethanol, the international price of corn-based ethanol, the impacts of COVID-19 on the economy and fuel demand.
FAS/Cairo revises its Egypt cotton forecast for market year 2021/22, accounting for a rise in area harvested and production.
On August 3, 2021, the European Union (EU) extended for an additional five years the anti-dumping and countervailing duties (AD/CVD) levied on imports of U.S. biodiesel since 2008.
From August 19, 2021, Japan has expanded market access for U.S.-grown plums to imports of Japanese plums (Prunus salicina) from the United States, in addition to European plums (Prunus domestica) grown in the United States.
This report intends to highlight Mexico's publications of its intent to redraft, modify, or create 6 dairy regulations (NOMs by their Spanish acronym). Through its 2021 Quality Infrastructure National Program (QINP), Mexico announced butter, cream, milk, yoghurt, cheese, and milk powder NOMs would be up for creation or rework. The final NOMs, expected to be published in 2022, will affect both national and imported dairy products commercialized in Mexico. Mexico's cheese conformity assessment procedure and milk powder measures notified to the WTO under G/TBT/N/MEX/465 and G/TBT/N/MEX/477, respectively, are still pending final publication.
On August 18, 2021, Taiwan implemented an amended version of its Standards for Pesticide Residue Limits in Food. The amendments were previously published in draft form on April 7, 2021. This report contains an English language Appendix Table with information on the new, updated, or nullified Maximum Residue Limits (MRL) for food, as well as a link to Taiwan's WTO SPS notification for the same.
Export prices of some grades of white rice increased one percent due to new inquiries and the strengthening of the Thai baht.
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