US biodiesel exports drop sharply in November, imports swell

U.S. biodiesel exports dropped precipitously in November compared to the previous month while U.S. imports of biodiesel and renewable diesel swelled, according to new data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

The U.S. exported a total of nearly 9.3 million gallons of biodiesel in November, down close to 53 percent from October’s figure of almost 19.6 million gallons.

The low November export figure is also down more than 80 percent from the year’s monthly high of 47.2 million gallons in January.

More than 81 percent of November’s U.S. biodiesel exports went north to Canada, totaling more than 7.5 million gallons.

Over 1.5 million gallons of U.S. biodiesel was shipped to Peru in November, while 126,000 gallons was destined for Germany.

U.S. biodiesel imports rose 37 percent in November compared to October, totaling nearly 38 million gallons (more than 37.9 million).

November’s U.S. biodiesel import volumes were the highest on record for 2022. Imports of biodiesel have been steadily increasing throughout the second half of the year.

More than a third of the biodiesel volume imported by the U.S. in November came from Canada, totaling almost 14.5 million gallons.

Approximately one third of the month’s total imports entered the U.S. from Germany, topping out at just shy of 13 million gallons.

More than 6.3 million gallons of biodiesel came to the U.S. from Italy in November.

The U.S. also imported biodiesel from Belgium in November, totaling more than 4.1 million gallons. This was the first shipment of Belgian biodiesel to arrive in the U.S. since early 2019.

U.S. imports of renewable diesel spiked in November by more than 53 percent compared to October.

The U.S. imported more than 29 million gallons of renewable diesel from Singapore in November, up from more than 18.9 million gallons in October.

While all renewable diesel entering the U.S. in November was from Singapore, in October shipments arrived from Singapore, the Netherlands and the United Arab Emirates, the latter of which was the first on record.

November’s U.S. imports of renewable diesel were the highest monthly volumes so far in the 11 months of EIA data available for 2022.