USGBC promotes ethanol initiatives in Vietnam, Taiwan and Philippines 

By Emma Dostal, USGBC 

The U.S. Grains and BioProducts Council (USGBC) has been busy expanding export markets for corn-based ethanol throughout Asia in recent months. Three projects with the biggest impact are in Vietnam, Taiwan and the Philippines. 

In June, Vietnam completed a rollout of its E10 fuel-blending policy, meaning all grades of gasoline sold in the country will now contain ethanol. The transition is a landmark achievement that reflects years of dedicated policy development, interagency coordination and steadfast commitment to the country’s energy, environmental and agricultural objectives. 

“The U.S. Grains and BioProducts Council has been truly honored to support the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT) and Vietnam’s fuel industry throughout this policy journey,” said Caleb Wurth, USGBC regional director for Southeast Asia & Oceania (SEA&O). 

“Through technical assistance, industry engagement, policy advisory, international study missions and collaboration with Vietnamese government agencies and industry stakeholders, the Council has sought to contribute meaningfully to Vietnam’s ethanol policy framework and industry development. We are proud to have played a supportive role in reaching this milestone.” 

The mandate positions Vietnam as one of the most progressive fuel ethanol markets in Asia, reducing vehicular emissions and improving urban air quality in Vietnam’s rapidly growing cities, contributing meaningfully to the country’s climate commitments and public health goals. 

The policy also supports the development of Vietnam’s emerging domestic biofuel industry, creating economic opportunities across the agricultural and industrial sectors. 

The expansion of ethanol blending holds significant implications for the U.S.-Vietnam trade relationship. Vietnam’s gasoline pool approaches 3 billion gallons annually, and domestic production will need complimentary imports to meet the full blending policy requirements. 

“Whether through technical capacity building, supply chain development, engagement with fuel standards bodies or facilitating connections between Vietnamese and U.S. industry stakeholders, the Council’s team in SEA&O remains fully committed to the success and continued growth of Vietnam’s fuel ethanol program,” Wurth said. 

Ethanol in Taiwan 

In May, the USGBC signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Taiwan Sugar Corporation (TSC) to jointly promote the development of ethanol in the region through mutual knowledge exchange and technical cooperation. 

USGBC Vice President Cary Sifferath signed the document on behalf of the Council with USGBC Director in Taiwan Michael Lu, American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Deputy Chief Steven Burgoon and AIT Economic Officer Ann Ku in observance. 

“As TSC is Taiwan’s largest corporate pig farm, pork supplier and a user of U.S. corn, it maintains fermentation infrastructure and technical expertise for ethanol production, making it one of the few domestic entities capable of doing so,” Sifferath said in his opening remarks. 

“Through this collaboration, we aim to explore the potential of using imported U.S. corn as a feedstock for ethanol production in Taiwan, and the possibility of leveraging its storage capacity to import U.S. ethanol.” 

Lu added that following the Council’s 2024 MOU with CPC Corporation, a major energy company in Taiwan, this new partnership with TSC marked another important step toward developing bioethanol applications in Taiwan. 

After the signing ceremony, the delegations traveled to Tainan for a tour of TSC’s headquarters, including its ethanol testing and production facilities, to demonstrate the company’s leadership in Taiwan’s biofuel sector. 

Sifferath and Lu also attended the Taiwan Sustainable Aviation Forum, where industry stakeholders discussed Taiwan’s aspirations to reach net-zero aviation emissions and how sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) can make that goal a reality. 

“The Council will continue collaborating with both companies through technical exchanges, stable feedstock support and pilot projects to advance biofuel applications, strengthen Taiwan’s energy resilience and support its net-zero transition goals,” Lu said. 

Philippines trade mission 

In April, the USGBC and member representatives joined a USDA Agricultural Trade Mission (ATM) to Manila, Philippines to maintain momentum for U.S. exporters in a young, growing economy. 

USGBC Chairman Mark Wilson and USGBC Vice Chairman Jay Reiners were joined by USGBC Regional Director for Southeast Asia & Oceania (SEA&O) Caleb Wurth; USGBC Director of Global Ethanol Export Development Alicia Koch; USGBC Regional Ethanol Consultant Kent Yeo; and USGBC Philippines Consultant Marco Sardillo. 

Council members from the U.S. ethanol industry also participated, including Eco-Energy Vice President of Global Trade Hagan Rose, Growth Energy Director of Global Policy Emily Marthaler and Renewable Fuels Association Vice President of Government Affairs Ed Hubbard, underscoring USDA’s commitment to strengthening U.S. ethanol producers’ relationships in international markets. 

“This ATM is the latest strong message from our partners at USDA that international market development for U.S. agricultural products, particularly ethanol, is a priority the Council is eager to be part of,” Wilson said. 

The mission was headlined by the opening of a retail gas station in Manila carrying gasoline blended with 20 percent ethanol (E20), including a speech from USDA Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Michelle Bekkering and closing remarks from Wilson and Wurth. 

The Philippines is the largest U.S. ethanol trading partner in Southeast Asia, with more than 101 million gallons of U.S. ethanol exported to the country in 2025. The Philippines E10 mandate, that began in 2013, has delivered a win-win outcome for the U.S.-Philippines economic partnership, and total gasoline demand in the country surpassed 2 billion gallons for the first time last year. 

Ethanol production in the Philippines has increased by nearly 450 percent since the inception of the mandate, and U.S. ethanol now accounts for roughly 45 percent of the country’s total ethanol demand. This mutually beneficial trade relationship, forged through ethanol, helps stimulate further investment in the Philippines domestic ethanol industry, as U.S. ethanol imports help lower the average price of ethanol and gasoline in the country. 

The Council’s team met with the Ethanol Producers Association of the Philippines (EPAP) afterward to discuss next steps in expanding E20 access to other regions of the country. 

The program also included meetings at the Subic Bay Freeport and the Island Skies Alliance to discuss additional opportunities for ethanol as a transportation and energy industry tool. 

“Consumer access to E20 fuel is another significant step forward for the environmental goals of the Philippines and for U.S. ethanol producers in what is already the ninth-largest export market for U.S. grains in all forms,” Wurth said.