Philippines: Higher Voluntary Ethanol Blends Considered

  |   Attaché Report (GAIN)   |   RP2023-0013

The Philippine government is currently studying higher ethanol blends in gasoline on a voluntary basis up to 20 percent (beyond the 10 percent mandate). This is in line with the recent stated concern by Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) that the country is overly reliant on refined petroleum product imports. The consideration also follows a Senate Committee on Energy meeting (June 21, 2022), where the Department of Energy was advised to consider such higher blends. Higher voluntary blends, e.g., E15 and E20, would be facilitated through the approval of currently drafted Philippine National Standards (PNS). Until local ethanol production scales up, a voluntary PNS for E20 would force imported refined petroleum products to compete with imported ethanol for 10 percent of the total blended gasoline pool and have the effect of both immediately lowering pump prices as well as providing a safeguard against future oil price and supply shocks.

Related Reports

Attaché Report (GAIN)

Thailand: Cotton and Products Update

Post forecasts MY2022/23 cotton imports to increase 4 percent but remain well below the 5-year average annual import demand from MY2017/18 – MY2021/22 in anticipation of slow economic recovery in 2023.
Attaché Report (GAIN)

Hong Kong: The Hong Kong Wonton - Volume 3 Issue 6

Bite size local news, Post reports and activity summaries wrapped by ATO Hong Kong. In this issue: Aspiring Chefs Explore “The Science of Souffle” With U.S. Ingredients and Local Flavors
Attaché Report (GAIN)

Brazil: Food Processing Ingredients

The Brazilian Food Processors' Association (ABIA) reported that the food processing sector in Brazil had revenue of US$209 billion in 2022, showing a growth of 16.6 percent compared to the previous year.