US likely to import less ethanol in 2014/15.

摘要

According to Brazilian consultancy Datagro, there may be less opportunity than previously thought for the country's ethanol producers to ship material north to the US in the coming season. The company currently projects Brazilian exports for the 2014/15 season at 1.8B L (11.3MM bbl), but Datagro President Plinio Nastari has said that this figure may need to be revised downward by 200-300MM L (1.2-1.8MM bbl). "Lower ethanol exports will be accommodated by lower ethanol production because of the drought," he said, referring to Brazil's sugarcane-producing center-south region, where a lack of rainfall is likely to result in a smaller harvest. Ethanol production is expected at 25.29B L (159MM bbl) in the coming season, down 8 from 27.5B L (173MM bbl) the season before. Meanwhile in the US, a near-record corn crop is expected to drive higher production. In past years, the US has used about 40 of its corn for ethanol production, and accounted for about 65 of Brazil's ethanol exports.