Japanese Media Trade Team Gains Insight into Illinois Corn and Ethanol

On December 1-5, IL Corn and the U.S. Grains Council hosted a trade team of Japanese media professionals to Illinois. The team was interested in learning foundational knowledge on the ethanol industry, corn production and corn as a feedstock for ethanol and sustainable aviation fuel. The team – reporters from Japanese nationwide news and weekly business journals – visited with U.S. government and Illinois government officials, the ethanol industry, and the corn industry to expand their knowledge base. They also visited corn farms, ethanol plants, gasoline retailers, and listened to focus groups of U.S. consumers on their perceptions of corn-based ethanol blended into the fuel supply.

Japan has recently updated their modeling of corn-based ethanol and will begin importing U.S. ethanol to help them achieve their carbon intensity goals. A reliable export market for U.S. grain exports, Japan was the third-largest market for grains in all forms (GIAF) during the 2022/2023 marketing year, with exports totaling 9.6 million metric tons (377 million bushels). By commodity, Japan was the top market for U.S. beef and beef products, the third-largest market for U.S. corn, pork and pork products, barley and barley products, the eighth-largest market for U.S. dried distiller’s grains with solubles (DDGS), and the ninth-largest market for U.S. sorghum.