US Ethanol Exports Post Strongest January on Record Amid Surging Brazil Cargoes
U.S. monthly ethanol exports posted their strongest January of all time, thanks in part to a nearly six-year high in shipments to Brazil, according to figures released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau.
Monthly exports hit 212.07 million gal in January, down 3.8% from December’s 220.35 million gal but 7.1% over the January 2025 sum of 198.05 million gal. The January total equaled the fifth-highest monthly volume on record and fell within earshot of March 2018’s all-time high of 231.6 million gal.
In 2025, U.S. ethanol exports totaled 2.18 billion gal, topping 2024’s annual record of 1.91 billion gal.
The figures represent all ethanol exports minus undenatured ethanol used in beverages.
For the 58th straight month, Canada was the top destination for U.S. fuel ethanol exports, with 69.96 million gal shipped there, up from 66.44 million gal in December. Canada imported 792.26 million gal in 2025, up nearly 14% from its 2024 total and equaling about 36% of total U.S. shipments.
Behind Canada in January was Brazil, which imported 36.4 million gal – the highest level since March 2020 — followed by the Netherlands, which took about 33.4 million gal.
Brazil’s imports were up from 13.3 million gal in December, following two months of relative inactivity. Brazil has a tariff on imported ethanol set at 18%. A former top destination for U.S. ethanol exports, Brazil
On the imports side of things, the U.S. recorded minimal volumes of fuel ethanol in January, totaling just 59,053 gal. Imports totaled just 3.7 million gal in 2025, topping the 3.61 million gal imported in 2024.
Reporting by Jordan Godwin, jgodwin@opisnet.com; Editing by Bryan Sims, bsims@opisnet.com