Lawmakers are looking to crack down on used cooking oil imports from China. U.S. bio-fuel manufacturers have been using the imports to make subsidized bio-diesel.
Senator Chuck Grassley says the process is misregulated, stating that there is no definition for used cooking oil, but he says it goes beyond that.
“Well, I guess we think that the special Trade Representative ought to be in a position of leading the charge dealing with China, the extent of which they are taking action over there to make sure that it’s used cooking oil. But also our people, not only in Customs, it seems to me it’s been USTR, is one of the agencies we asked. The USDA is another agency, and particularly because Customs and Border Patrol, they got to police everything as it enters the United States, so I suppose most of the responsibility would fall on customs, but we got to get everybody online against this,” said Grassley.
Senator Grassley said he is not sure a definition of used cooking oil is necessary, and that the issue is more technical and scientific than anything else.
