# Biofuels in Asia: An antidote to oil shocks? | The Straits Times

> Asian countries are expanding domestic biofuels such as ethanol and palm-based biodiesel to reduce fossil fuel imports after crude prices jumped from about US$72 to around US$100 per barrel following the US-Israeli conflict with Iran. Indonesia plans a B50 palm biodiesel mandate from July 1, and India announced higher ethanol blend specifications.

- Date: 2026-05-22 · published 2026-05-22T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: policy · region Asia · magnitude medium
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/15472-biofuels-in-asia-an-antidote-to-oil-shocks-the-straits-times
- Commodities: [Palm Oil](https://feedsoft.ai/c/PALMOIL.md), [Soybean Oil](https://feedsoft.ai/c/SBO.md), [Corn](https://feedsoft.ai/c/CORN.md), [Crude Oil (WTI)](https://feedsoft.ai/c/WTI.md), [Crude Oil (Brent)](https://feedsoft.ai/c/BRENT.md)

## Why it matters

Biofuel mandates divert palm oil and corn into fuel, tightening edible oil and feed supplies and supporting vegetable oil and grain prices.

## Read by commodity

- SBO: bullish ▲
- WTI: bullish ▲
- CORN: bullish ▲
- BRENT: bullish ▲
- PALMOIL: bullish ▲

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| PALMOIL | 2026-06-30 | [Indonesia biofuel push adds strain to producers, palm oil markets](https://feedsoft.ai/events/18903-indonesia-biofuel-push-adds-strain-to-producers-palm-oil-markets.md) | -0.5% | +0.3% |
| PALMOIL | 2016-11-25 | [Indonesia sticks to its guns on B20 biodiesel, despite rising palm oil prices \| New Straits Times](https://feedsoft.ai/events/73758-indonesia-sticks-to-its-guns-on-b20-biodiesel-despite-rising-palm-oil-prices.md) | +3.8% | +5.0% |
| PALMOIL | 2025-05-14 | [Indonesian palm oil exports set to fall with biofuel mandate - Nikkei Asia](https://feedsoft.ai/events/24754-indonesian-palm-oil-exports-set-to-fall-with-biofuel-mandate-nikkei-asia.md) | +0.7% | +1.5% |
| PALMOIL | 2019-03-05 | [Palm oil to rise to RM2,400 a tonne, on higher biodiesel mandate \| New Straits Times](https://feedsoft.ai/events/59955-palm-oil-to-rise-to-rm2-400-a-tonne-on-higher-biodiesel-mandate-new-straits.md) | -1.4% | -1.8% |
| PALMOIL | 2025-11-14 | [Palm oil prices to spike in 2026 as Indonesia pushes biofuel policy - Nikkei Asia](https://feedsoft.ai/events/22047-palm-oil-prices-to-spike-in-2026-as-indonesia-pushes-biofuel-policy-nikkei-asia.md) | -0.2% | -0.9% |
| SBO | 2026-06-30 | [Indonesia biofuel push adds strain to producers, palm oil markets](https://feedsoft.ai/events/18903-indonesia-biofuel-push-adds-strain-to-producers-palm-oil-markets.md) | +1.3% | +1.8% |
| SBO | 2017-04-04 | [MEPs vote to ban the use of palm oil in biofuels \| Guardian sustainable business \| The Guardian](https://feedsoft.ai/events/71526-meps-vote-to-ban-the-use-of-palm-oil-in-biofuels-guardian-sustainable-business.md) | -0.2% | +3.0% |
| SBO | 2025-05-14 | [Indonesian palm oil exports set to fall with biofuel mandate - Nikkei Asia](https://feedsoft.ai/events/24754-indonesian-palm-oil-exports-set-to-fall-with-biofuel-mandate-nikkei-asia.md) | -0.6% | -4.3% |

## Sources

- straitstimes.com: https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/could-biofuels-be-the-antidote-that-asia-needs-for-oil-shocks

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Data from Feedsoft AI (https://feedsoft.ai/). For information only; not investment advice.