NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Commerce & Industry on Thursday officially refuted media reports claiming that India is importing, or planning to import, large quantities of ethanol from the United States to support its fuel blending programme. The government labeled these claims as entirely baseless and misleading.
100% Domestic Sourcing
The Ministry clarified the operational framework of the Ethanol Blended with Petrol (EBP) Programme, stating that all ethanol used for fuel blending is sourced exclusively from domestic producers.
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The current procurement aligns strictly with India’s existing national policy framework.
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The government confirmed that absolutely no ethanol is being imported from the United States for fuel blending purposes.
No Concessions in Bilateral Trade Talks
Addressing additional speculation regarding ongoing India-US bilateral trade discussions, the Ministry firmly rejected suggestions that any agreements or concessions had been made regarding ethanol imports.
The Ministry emphasized the following points:
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No commitments relating to the import of fuel ethanol from the US have been made during trade negotiations.
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Any suggestion indicating a possible policy shift to permit large-scale foreign imports of fuel ethanol is completely factually incorrect.
The Ministry reiterated that India’s fuel blending programme and its ethanol procurement strategies will continue to be governed solely by the country’s domestic policy requirements and national interests.
