# Coronavirus spurs new clash between Big Oil and Big Corn over U.S. biofuels

> Refiners are asking the Trump administration to suspend the requirement to blend corn-based ethanol into gasoline, citing compliance costs. Corn groups want the blending requirements expanded to offset idled biofuel plants and falling crop demand.

- Date: 2020-04-17 · published 2020-04-17T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: policy · region US · magnitude medium
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/53532-coronavirus-spurs-new-clash-between-big-oil-and-big-corn-over-u-s-biofuels
- Commodities: [Corn](https://feedsoft.ai/c/CORN.md), [Soybean Oil](https://feedsoft.ai/c/SBO.md)

## Why it matters

The outcome of this dispute will determine ethanol and biodiesel blending volumes, which drive corn and soybean oil demand. Competing lobbying leaves the direction of price impact uncertain.

## Read by commodity

- SBO: neutral
- CORN: neutral

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| CORN | 2021-04-16 | [EPA seeks oil, corn sectors' input on next phase of U.S. biofuel policy -sources](https://feedsoft.ai/events/47460-epa-seeks-oil-corn-sectors-input-on-next-phase-of-u-s-biofuel-policy-sources.md) | +5.1% | +18.3% |
| CORN | 2017-06-20 | [U.S. Biofuels Take Revenue Hit But Get New Target Less Constrained by ‘Blend Wall’](https://feedsoft.ai/events/70363-u-s-biofuels-take-revenue-hit-but-get-new-target-less-constrained-by-blend-wall.md) | -3.6% | +0.0% |
| CORN | 2019-02-05 | [Biofuels and Big Oil make their case on RFS before 2022 \| 2019-02-05 \| Agri-Pulse \| Agri-Pulse Communications, Inc.](https://feedsoft.ai/events/60466-biofuels-and-big-oil-make-their-case-on-rfs-before-2022-2019-02-05-agri-pulse.md) | +0.0% | -1.1% |
| CORN | 2023-09-07 | [USMCA panel requested over biotech corn dispute – Ohio Ag Net \| Ohio's Country Journal](https://feedsoft.ai/events/34077-usmca-panel-requested-over-biotech-corn-dispute-ohio-ag-net-ohio-s-country.md) | -1.2% | -6.8% |
| CORN | 2017-06-21 | [Game-Changer in US Biofuels Sector \|         Global Oil & Fats Business Online – gofbonline.com](https://feedsoft.ai/events/70360-game-changer-in-us-biofuels-sector-global-oil-and-fats-business-online.md) | -2.4% | +2.1% |
| SBO | 2021-04-16 | [EPA seeks oil, corn sectors' input on next phase of U.S. biofuel policy -sources](https://feedsoft.ai/events/47460-epa-seeks-oil-corn-sectors-input-on-next-phase-of-u-s-biofuel-policy-sources.md) | +9.2% | +17.8% |
| SBO | 2025-03-27 | [Trump administration tells oil and biofuels groups to hash out new biofuel policy \| Reuters](https://feedsoft.ai/events/15136-trump-administration-tells-oil-and-biofuels-groups-to-hash-out-new-biofuel.md) | +8.5% | +13.2% |
| SBO | 2025-12-29 | [Volatile Biofuels Demand Is Reshaping the Price Relationship between Soybean and Palm Oils](https://feedsoft.ai/events/21600-volatile-biofuels-demand-is-reshaping-the-price-relationship-between-soybean.md) | +0.6% | +7.3% |

## Sources

- hydrocarbonprocessing.com: https://www.hydrocarbonprocessing.com/news/2020/04/coronavirus-spurs-new-clash-between-big-oil-and-big-corn-over-us-biofuels/

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