Last week, U.S. Grains & BioProducts Council (USGBC) and National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) leaders traveled to the European Union (EU) to meet major end-users and handlers of U.S. ethanol and feed grains.
USGBC Chairman Mark Wilson; USGBC Past Chairwoman Verity Ulibarri; USGBC Vice Chairman Jay Reiners; USGBC Secretary-Treasurer Jay Fischer; USGBC President and CEO Ryan LeGrand; and USGBC Director of Global Ethanol Export Development Alicia Koch joined Council staff based in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) including USGBC Regional Director for EMEA Ramy H. Taieb, USGBC Regional Deputy Director for Europe and the Middle East Ana Ballesteros and USGBC EMEA Regional Ethanol Consultant Alberto Carmona.
Key staff from the Council’s partners at NCGA, including NCGA President Jed Bower; NCGA Chairman Kenny Hartman; NCGA CEO Neil Caskey; and NCGA First Vice President Matt Frostic joined the team to offer detailed perspectives from the position of U.S. corn farmers.
“The EU is a vital mature market for U.S. agriculture, and it was important for the Council to reflect that relationship with the group we assembled, including board members, staff and our close partners at NCGA to help retain U.S. market share while exploring more demand opportunities for our goods as well,” Wilson said.
The delegation began its journey in Spain for a meeting with Vertex, a leading ethanol producer in Spain and France capable of generating 206 million gallons and 505,000 metric tons of distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS) and other feed annually.
Through the Council’s engagement, Vertex began using U.S. corn at one of its plants, confirming a higher ethanol yield compared to corn of other origins. These initial results provide a strong incentive for Vertex to consider incorporating U.S. corn across additional facilities in the future.
Next, the group attended a roundtable with CESFAC, a non-profit organization representing the Spanish compound feed industry, and other key stakeholders from across the Spanish feed sector, including importers, traders, end-users of corn and corn co-products and industry association leaders.
Attendees spoke about demand for U.S. grains in the country and Council staff presented the results of its 2025/2026 Corn Harvest Quality Report to bring importers the latest information about U.S. grain quality, nutritional constitution and added value in feed diets.
The next stop on the agenda was The Netherlands for a visit to one of the major regional liquid chemical storage providers at the Port of Rotterdam to understand the supply chain and the logistical process of exporting U.S. ethanol into the EU. Later, the team met with Alco Group, the largest bioethanol plant in the EU, that produces more than 171 million gallons each year.
Finally, the group traveled to Copenhagen, Denmark to visit Maersk’s headquarters. Maersk is the world’s second largest shipping company and is exploring the possibility of incorporating ethanol as a marine fuel for its fleet.
“Identifying emerging markets for ethanol like marine fuel opens significant new demand for U.S. producers and exporters, even in already developed markets,” Koch said.
“These mature markets also have existing trade relationships with the U.S. agricultural industry, easing the pathway to market access for new applications, and the Council is working to help customers understand the benefits of additional biofuel integrations and how the U.S. industry can supply these future needs.”
Learn more about the Council’s work in ethanol on the organization’s website.