U.S. bulk shipments of corn gluten feed (CGF) and corn gluten meal (CGM) will be exempt from new shipping restrictions as the result of an industry effort spearheaded by the U.S. Grains Council.

Letters of exemption, issued by the U.S. Coast Guard, will allow both products to continue flowing to international markets without incurring unnecessary costs when the new rules take effect in January.

“These rules would have increased shipping costs significantly on every load and limited the number of ships available to transport corn gluten – all to solve a problem that doesn’t exist for this commodity,� explained Erick Erickson, USGC special assistant for planning, evaluation and projects.

The rules would have restricted corn gluten shipments to a limited number of vessels that have fixed carbon dioxide fire suppression equipment.

Working through the Council, several companies provided shipping histories and test samples to demonstrate that corn gluten didn’t warrant this level of regulation.

Erickson complimented U.S. Coast Guard officials for responding promptly to USGC’s efforts and for providing guidance on the data needed to achieve a realistic decision.

“This is our second success working with the Coast Guard on behalf of the U.S. industry to maintain the free flow of corn product exports,� he said, noting the role the Coast Guard played earlier this year in classifying distiller’s dried grains with solubles as a non-hazardous cargo under the International Maritime Organization.

The Coast Guard letters of exemption for CGF and CGM cover a specific list of shipping companies, but additional companies can gain exemption through a written request to the Coast Guard.

Last year, the United States exported 655,000 metric tons of CGM, a high-protein feed ingredient used primarily in swine and poultry diets. U.S. shipments of CGF, a medium-protein ingredient commonly used in cattle rations, totaled 825,000 tons.