Policy support key as Canada remains largest U.S. ethanol customer

Policy will shape the future of U.S. ethanol exports to its top customer. 

Advanced Biofuels Canada Association president Fred Ghatala calls biofuels a “policy game.”

“Renewable fuels exist because policy makes room in the market, and then creates structures that encourage carbon intensity reductions over the long-term.”

Ghatala was part of a panel at the National Ethanol Conference in Orlando Wednesday.

Canada is the biggest importer of U.S. ethanol, with exports reaching a record high of over 792 million gallons in 2025, driven by Canada’s Clean Fuel Regulations.

“So what we’re going to see over the next five years (depends on) will the CFR persist? And essential to that is ensuring that our full agricultural community supports it.”