Background

From 2014 through 2017, biodiesel imports from Argentina and Indonesia increased exponentially, rising 824 percent over a three-year period. In 2016, Clean Fuels and its member companies formed an ad hoc Fair Trade Coalition to fight unfair trade practices by the two countries.

Following a 13-month investigation, the U.S. Department of Commerce found that Argentina and Indonesia were massively subsidizing their domestic biodiesel producers, who in turn were selling their product in the United States below fair market value – both violations of international trade agreements. Commerce issued preliminary decisions on countervailing duties in August 2017 and antidumping duties in October 2017 on biodiesel imports from the two countries.

In April 2018, the U.S. International Trade Commission issued a study showing that U.S. biodiesel producers were substantially harmed by the unfair trade practices by Argentina and Indonesia. Since the preliminary decision in August 2017, neither country has exported biodiesel to the United States.

To get more information on the status of the Fair Trade Coalition case and learn about Clean Fuels Alliance America's advocacy efforts on the issue, please visit  Clean Fuels Alliance America's website.