US President Donald Trump announced on Thursday (13) a plan for an “fair and reciprocal” international trade, putting the Brazilian ethanol in the target of your agenda.
generated concern in National Sugar Survey.
In an interview with CNN MoneyEvandro Gussi, CEO of Union of sugarcane industry and bioenergy (Unica)criticized the potential measure and highlighted the differences between the ethanol produced in Brazil and the United States.
Gussi emphasized that Brazilian ethanol is imported by the United States due to its superior environmental quality.
“While there they have over 60 grams of carbon dioxide, from CO2, per unit of energy, our ethanol is around 20, it is a third of American ethanol,” he explained.
The president of Unica has lamented the possible measure, stating that it “somehow indicates a route against the fight against climate change”, considered one of humanity’s greatest concerns today.
Although the US market represents about one billion liters of Brazilian exports, Gussi argued that the issue goes beyond marketing effects.
He stressed that some states, such as California, can continue to buy the Brazilian ethanol due to its sustainability attributes.
The executive also pointed out the lack of reciprocity in trade between the two countries, citing the barriers faced by Brazilian sugar in the USA.
“We can’t export there, because they have a tariff that, in percentage terms, goes from 100% over the price of the product,” he said.
Gussi expressed confidence in the support of the Brazilian government, highlighting recent initiatives that recognize the attributes of national bioenergy, such as the Fuel Law of the future and the mark of hydrogen.
He said the government has been “extremely sensitive to this theme” and believes that it will seek the best efforts to overcome these and other commercial barriers.
The possible surcharge to Brazilian ethanol raises questions about the true meaning of free trade in relations between Brazil and the United States, especially considering the barriers already existing for Brazilian products in the American market.
