Record Ethanol Exports Drive Strong August Trade Gains

Ethanol exports are expanding on strong demand from Canada and Europe, while DDGS shipments remain broad-based and supportive for feed markets.

Farmland producing ethanol for the oil and gas industry. Railroad tankers cars lined up near a ethanol plant at sunset_Photo by photogrfx via AdobeStock_496174713.png

Photo by photogrfx via Adobe Stock

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (RFD-TV) — U.S. ethanol exports surged in August on the strength of record sales to Canada and the European Union (EU), pushing total shipments to 188.8 million gallons — a 15 percent monthly increase and 24 percent above last year. The month’s gains were anchored by 74.4 million gallons moving into Canada and 47.6 million gallons routed through the Netherlands for EU use, with both markets combining for nearly two-thirds of total exports. No foreign ethanol entered the U.S. during the period.

Additional buyers shifted sharply. Colombia increased imports by 43 percent to 14.1 million gallons, India rebounded after months of minimal activity, and Mexico moved higher as the United Kingdom, Peru, and the Philippines eased back. Year-to-date ethanol exports reached 1.42 billion gallons, tracking 16 percent ahead of 2024.

DDGS exports also strengthened. Shipments rose 10 percent to 1.17 million metric tons, with Mexico, South Korea, Vietnam, and Colombia accounting for half of all movement. Several destinations — including Colombia, Honduras, and New Zealand — posted record monthly totals. Year-to-date DDGS exports reached 7.64 million metric tons, slightly below last year’s pace.

Farm-Level Takeaway: Ethanol exports are expanding on strong demand from Canada and Europe, while DDGS shipments remain broad-based and supportive for feed markets.
Tony St. James, RFD-TV Markets Specialist
Related Stories
The Court may limit emergency tariff powers, complicating a key bargaining tool; ag could see shifts in input costs and export dynamics as China, Brazil, and India talks evolve.
U.S. sugar producers and processors should brace for price pressure and challenging export logistics with global sugar supply ramping up — driven by Brazil, India, and Thailand — especially at the raw processing level.
Host of RealAg Radio Shaun Haney discusses how the proposed reductions to agriculture programs in Canada’s new budget could affect research and support programs that farmers need.
Wed, 12/10/25 – 7:30 PM ET | 6:30 PM CT | 5:30 PM MT | 4:30 PM PT
The Farm Bureau urges trade enforcement, biofuel growth, fair input pricing, and pro-farmer policy reforms to restore long-term certainty.
The first-ever “MICHELIN Guide to the American South” awards stars to top restaurants across Georgia, Louisiana, the Carolinas, and Tennessee, and pinpoints the region as a global food destination for the first time.
Farmers for Free Trade Executive Director Brian Kuehl shares more about the tour to gather farmers’ insights on the economic challenges they face in the ag economy.
Wheat futures briefly hit a three-month high before retreating as the markets wait for word on whether the deal will actually happen.
According to Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins, the top three soy-crushing companies in Bangladesh agreed to buy $1 billion worth of U.S. soybeans over the next year.

Tony St. James joined the RFD-TV talent team in August 2024, bringing a wealth of experience and a fresh perspective to RFD-TV and Rural Radio Channel 147 Sirius XM. In addition to his role as Market Specialist (collaborating with Scott “The Cow Guy” Shellady to provide radio and TV audiences with the latest updates on ag commodity markets), he hosts “Rural America Live” and serves as talent for trade shows.

LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

Farmland values remain stable, but weakened credit conditions and lower expected farm income signal tighter financial margins heading into 2026.
Mary-Thomas Hart, with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, discusses the latest WOTUS developments and their implications for agriculture.
Only properly documented, unexhausted fertilizer applied by prior owners may qualify for Section 180 expensing; broader nutrient-based claims carry significant legal and tax risk.
Urea and phosphate see the biggest price relief from tariff exemptions, but nitrogen markets remain tight, and spring demand will still dictate pricing momentum.
Lower turkey and wheat prices helped ease Thanksgiving costs, but underlying farm-sector pressures remain significant.
Cattle and hog supplies continue to tighten while dairy output expands, creating a split outlook in which red-meat prices soften and milk values come under pressure from larger supplies.