美国大豆协会-国际项目－每周快报
（２００９年３月２３日）
维尔萨克说环保署应制定１０亿加仑豆基生物柴油的可再生燃料标准
美国农业部长汤姆·维尔萨克（Tom Vilsack）说，他相信环保署不久将制定１０亿加仑豆基生物柴油的年度可再生燃料标准。届时全国石油燃料中每年将必须填加１０亿加仑豆基生物柴油。
但是，环保署在做出决定之前，必须首先证明，豆基生物柴油的温室气体排放量
能比石油燃料的温室气体排放量低５０％。不过，排放量的计算可能有些微妙，
因为环保署在收集数据时，不会提出这样的问题：燃烧“X”数量的生物柴油是否比燃烧同量石油燃料多排或少排温室气体？
如果环保署把全球大豆土地的使用（被称作“土地用途的间接变更”）也作为温室气体排放因素计入考量，那么生物柴油将可能达不到５０％的减排下限。
参议员呼吁制定可再生燃料标准时取消土地用途规则
来自１２个农业州的参议员在联名致函环保署署长丽莎·杰克逊（Lisa Jackson）时说，环保署在计算生物燃料的温室气体排放量时不应将土地用途的间接变更纳入即将提出的可再生燃料标准。
这些参议员们说，根据即将拟定的可再生燃料标准实施条例２，“土地使用的间接计算”作为环保署分析生物燃料生命周期温室气体排放量的依据之一，将被用来决定哪种燃料属于符合标准的可再生燃料。该联名函于３月１６日发出，签署人包括参议院农业、营养、林业委员会主席汤姆·哈金（艾奥瓦州民主党人）和参议院财政委员会副主席查克·格瑞斯雷（艾奥瓦州共和党人）。他们告诫说，按照环保署目前的方法，现有的豆基生物柴油可能达不到可再生燃料的标准，其它生物柴油可能也将如此。
根据２００７年能源法，玉米基乙醇必须证明能将温室气体排放量减少２０％，豆基生物柴油必须将排放量减少５０％。据此，国会明确表示将保证所有已建或在建玉米基乙醇工厂符合产量强制规定，即所谓的保留条款。但豆基生物柴油却不在此之列。
１９９８年的一项政府研究声称，相较于石油基燃料，豆基生物柴油可将温室气体排放量减少７８％。但是，负责起草２００７年可再生燃料标准修订案实施条例的环保署决定，在判断豆基生物柴油对环境的破坏程度时，将参照国际惯例，即所谓的土地间接使用。
联名函称，土地使用的间接计算包含许多因素，比如为种植生物柴油作物而开垦林地和草地时所造成的二氧化碳排放量的上升。联名函呼吁环保署不要将土地的间接使用计入考量，“因为该问题具有复杂性和不确定性，而且我们认为分析中也存在本质局限性。”
“过早公布并采用不准确或不完整的数据，将阻碍我们制定旨在达到生命周期温室气体排放要求的稳健策略，”参议员们在致函中表示。“由此而导致的规则不明将产生不确定性并对未来投资构成抑制，从而会严重损害美国的生物柴油增产策略。”联名函称，这种计算方式可能会加大玉米基乙醇、甜菜基乙醇、豆基柴油等生物柴油生物周期温室气体排放量的评估值。
印度预计会取消豆油进口税
印度政府及行业官员宣布，印度准备取消毛豆油进口税，以使毛豆油进口税与其它粗加工植物油进口税保持一致。印度贸易大臣GK Pillai说，印度将削减目前为２０％的豆油进口税，但具体细节未予透露。不过，贸易界知情人士表示，进口税将被完成取消，以使豆油和棕榈油处于相同地位。
政府于１１月开始征收豆油进口税，其目的旨在抑制国内大豆生产商进口国外低价豆油，但此举却导致国外棕榈油和葵花籽油进口量在本油籽年度前４个月内猛增至纪录水平。
中国最大的大豆压榨企业将接受国外投资
据《大众公志》报道，中国最大的国有大豆压榨企业九三集团上周表示，该集团愿意向国际化敞开大门。之前，该集团曾表示反对来自国外的投资。九三集团总经理田仁礼最近对《经济观察报》说，国际化将是该公司的发展道路，九三有可能与外商投资者合作。“如果任何外资公司愿与我们合作，我们将积极考虑，”田仁礼说。但他明确表示，合作的前提是中方保持控股。另外，他还说，公司不会接受外资企业提出的“任何不公平的附加条款，”比如优先购买进口转基因大豆。
由于美元走弱且通货膨胀引人忧虑，大豆类产品期价出现上升
由于美联储公布的消息导致美元汇率大幅下降，并引发市场对通货膨胀的忧虑，大豆类产品在３月１９日收盘时价格上升。阿根廷农户的潜在罢工继续促使进口商寻求美国大豆。阿根廷农户未能就大豆出口税的下调与立法机构达成一致，但阿根廷总统公布了一项计划，准备将大豆出口税收入的３０％与产豆省份分享，希望以此安抚那些不愿看到税收大量流向城市的农户。农场领导对此的最初反应并不乐观，去年的那场罢工仍有可能再次上演。５月份大豆期货价格上升＄９．３７为＄３４５．５７，７月份上升＄１０．３８为＄３４５．３９，８月份上升＄１１．４８为３４０．７０；５月份豆粕期货价格上升＄７．５０为＄３２６．６１，７月份上升＄８．３８为＄３２２．９７，８月份上升＄９．３７为＄３１６．８０；５月份豆油期货价格上升２１．３８为＄７０３．０５，７月份上升＄２１．３８为＄７０９．００，８月份下跌＄２１．１６为＄７１２．３１。
The Soy Export Weekly Update
Vilsack Says EPA Should Set RFS Of 1 Billion Gallons Of Soy-Based Biodiesel
USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack said he believes the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will soon set an annual renewable fuels standard of 1 billion gallons of soybean-based biodiesel. That would be the amount mandated to be blended into petroleum supplies nationally each year.
However, before EPA can make that determination, the agency first is required to certify that soy-based biodiesel would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent below emissions produced by petroleum-based diesel. That computation could be tricky because EPA may factor in data that raise questions other than: Does burning “X “amount of biodiesel produce greater or lesser levels of greenhouse gas emissions than does burning an equal amount of petroleum diesel?
If EPA chooses to consider the contribution of soybean land use around the world (known as “indirect land use change”) to the generation of greenhouse gases, biodiesel likely would fail to meet the 50 percent emissions reduction threshold.
Senators Urge Removal Of Land Use Rule When Creating RFS
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) should refrain from considering indirect changes to land use when calculating greenhouse gas emissions from biofuels as part of a forthcoming proposal to create standards for renewable fuels, a group of 12 farm-state senators said in a letter to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson.
The forthcoming proposed Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) 2 rule includes “indirect land use calculations,” as part of EPA’s analysis of life-cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from biofuels, and will be used to determine which fuels count as renewable under the standards, the senators said. The authors of the letter, released March 16, include Sen. Tom Harkin, (D-Iowa), chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, and Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), the ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee. They warned that under EPA’s current methodology, existing soy-based biodiesel may not qualify as a renewable fuel, and other biofuels could follow suit.
Under the 2007 energy law, corn ethanol must be declared to reduce greenhouse gasses by 20 percent and soy biodiesel must do so by 50 percent. Under the 2007 law, Congress assured that all corn ethanol plants either already constructed or under construction would be guaranteed to qualify for the production mandate – the so-called grandfathered clause. But that was not the case for soy biodiesel.
A government study in 1998 said that soy biodiesel reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 78 percent versus petroleum-based diesel. But the EPA in charge of writing the rule to implement the 2007 changes to the RFS decided to take into account international practices when deciding how damaging soy biodiesel is to the environment – this is the so-called indirect land use topic.
Indirect land-use calculations include factors such as the increase in carbon dioxide emissions created when forests and grasslands are cleared for cultivation of biofuel crops, according to the letter. The letter requests that EPA refrain from including the land-use calculation, “given the complexity and uncertainty of this issue as well as what we believe are basic analytical limitations.”
“The premature publication and use of inaccurate or incomplete data could compromise the ability to formulate a sound approach to implementing this life cycle GHG emissions requirement in the future,” the senators wrote. “And the resultant rulemaking confusion could seriously harm our US biofuels growth strategy by introducing uncertainty and discouraging future investments.” The calculations could increase the life-cycle greenhouse emissions assessed for biofuels such as corn and sugarcane-based ethanol and soy-based diesel, the letter said.
India Expected To Repeal Import Tax On Soyoil
India announced the country intends to scrap its import tax on crude soyoil to bring its duty in line with other crude vegetable oils, the government and industry officials have announced. GK Pillai, the trade secretary, said that India would be cutting the import duty on soyoil, which is currently at 20 percent, without giving further details but trade sources said the duty would be completely withdrawn, giving it equal footing with rival crude palm oil.
The government imposed the soyoil duty in November as a means of shielding domestic soybean producers from cheaper imports, but the policy has resulted in an influx of overseas palm oil and sunflower oil at record levels in the first four months of the oil year.
China’s Largest Soybean Crusher To Accept Foreign Investment
Jiusan Group, China’s largest domestically-owned soybean crusher, said last week that it would be open to internationalization, according to a report from The Public Ledger. Previously the company had said it was opposed to foreign investment in the country. Tian Renli, president of Jiusan, recently told the Economic Observer that internationalization would be the company’s development path and it is likely that Jiusan would co-operate with foreign investors. “If any foreign companies would like to co-operate with us, we will actively consider the opportunity,” said Tian. But he also made it clear that such cooperation must be premised on maintaining a controlling stake by Chinese. And, he stated that the firm would not accept “any unfair additional terms” imposed by foreign enterprises, such as preferential purchasing for imported, genetically modified soybeans.
Soy Complex Higher On Sinking U.S. Dollar And Inflation Fears
The soy complex closed higher on March 19 reflecting the Fed’s announcement that precipitated a collapse in US dollar and spurred inflation fears. The threat of an Argentine farmer strike continues to encourage importers to seek U.S. soybeans. Argentine farmers failed to get lawmakers to debate a bill to reduce soybean export taxes, but Argentina’s president unveiled a plan to share 30 percent of the soybean export tax revenue with the provinces to placate farmers who do not like that much of the tax revenue goes to urban areas. Initial reaction was not positive from farm leaders, leaving the threat for a repeat of last year’s periodic strikes largely intact. May bean futures were up $9.37, finishing at $345.57; July gained $10.38, closing at $345.39; and August was up $11.48, ending at $340.70. May meal increased $7.50, closing at $326.61; July was $8.38 higher, finishing at $322.97; and August meal closed up $9.37, ending at $316.80. May soyoil was $21.38 higher, finishing at $703.05; July was up $21.38, closing at $709.00; and August gained $21.16, closing at $712.31.
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