Japanese Leader Visits U.S., Learns More About Ethanol Benefits

Last month, a delegation led by Mr. Akira Amari, a member of the Liberal Democratic Party and the House of Representatives in Japan, visited the U.S. to take part in meetings with key policymakers, U.S. Grains Council (USGC) staff in Washington, D.C., and field visits to corn farms and ethanol plants in Illinois.

As part of the Council’s ethanol promotion efforts in Japan, this program aimed to promote ethanol direct blending and new uses of ethanol, including sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The delegation was able to learn more about U.S. policies and incentives in place related to climate change and ethanol.

“It is important to ensure that Mr. Amari, an influential policy maker and a strong advocate of biofuel, understands the supply capacity of U.S. corn ethanol to meet the growing demand for direct blending and SAF in Japan,” said Tommy Hamamoto, USGC director in Japan.

During the meetings, key messages highlighted included the benefits of ethanol in the U.S. on the environment and local economy; future uses of ethanol for SAF and bio-based fine chemicals; supply availability of corn-based ethanol; and future carbon intensity reduction through production efficiency improvement and carbon capture and storage (CCS).

By bringing this delegation to the States, the Council hopes there will be continued promotion of ethanol in Japan based on the knowledge Mr. Amari gained about corn and ethanol production and its benefits across many areas.

“Mr. Amari was impressed by the robustness of U.S. corn production and corn ethanol supply. The Council will continue to update him and his like-minded colleagues in the Japanese government on the benefits of U.S. corn ethanol,” Hamamoto said.