No Commitments Relating to Ethanol Import From US for Fuel Blending Under FTA: Govt

The Central Government has firmly clarified that no concessions have been granted to import ethanol from the United States for fuel blending as part of the India-US trade agreement discussions. The Ministry of Commerce and Industry completely refuted recent media reports regarding the matter, labeling them as baseless and entirely contrary to facts.

The ministry emphasized that India’s ongoing ‘Ethanol Blended Petrol’ program is driven strictly by domestic policies, with all the ethanol utilized being sourced exclusively from domestic producers. The government also dismissed speculation that it is preparing for large-scale ethanol imports from the US, clarifying that no such imports are currently taking place for fuel blending.

Furthermore, the government reiterated that no commitments were made on this issue during the bilateral trade talks with the US, and no policy changes are under consideration. Consequently, the reports suggesting that the Indian market is being opened up to American ethanol hold no truth, and the existing national framework remains unchanged.