This week, the National Biodiesel Board (NBB) held its board meeting in Washington, D.C. In attendance were ASA and NBB board member Mike Cunningham, Ill., numerous state soybean association staff, ASA Washington representative and industry partners. The focus of the meeting, which included a day of Hill visits with congressional offices, was the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) volume requirements for 2014.  EPA’s initial goal was to have the final rule in place by June 20, but they still have not submitted a draft to the White House for review and reports indicate that it will now be August or September before it is transmitted or finalized.

ASA continues to communicate with the Obama Administration and House and Senate members on the importance of having a more robust biodiesel requirement in the Final Rule.  In addition to many meetings with House and Senate members and staff, ASA also met this week with the Director of Rural Affairs for the White House Domestic Policy Council, which has input into the RFS decisions and recognizes the importance of the soybean industry to the rural and national economy.

In addition to the RFS, other topics discussed at the NBB meeting was the efforts to reinstate biodiesel tax credit, and concern for the potential of imports of biodiesel from Argentina to flood the U.S. market and undercut domestic production. Tom Hammer, president of the National Oilseed Processors Association (NOPA), spoke at the NBB meeting on the trade distorting impact of Argentine Differential Export Taxes (DETs) and the artificial advantage they provide to soybean products exported from that country.