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Today's Headlines Biodiesel
On 5 February 2023, Indonesia Investments released the January 2023 edition of its monthly report. This report discusses and analyses a number of important economic, social and political topics (all related to Indonesia) that were relevant in the month of January 2023.
The Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry of Indonesia announced in January that the B35 biodiesel program is scheduled to be imposed on 1 February 2023 (implying a one-month delay as the B35 program was supposed to take off on 1 January 2023).
Biodiesel, which is a form of diesel fuel that is derived from plants or animals (in the case of Indonesia it mainly uses fatty acid methyl ether, FAME, which is derived from palm oil), has been on the political agenda of Indonesia since the 1990s when the first (in-depth) research was conducted by a number of state agencies.
On Thursday (8/08) Indonesia Investments released the July 2019 edition of its monthly research report. The report aims to inform the reader of the key political, economic and social developments that occurred in Indonesia in the month of July 2019 and also touches upon key international developments that impacted on the Indonesian economy.
Per 1 September 2018 all vehicles and heavy machinery that have diesel engines in Indonesia will need to use diesel that contains fatty acid methyl ester (FAME), a type of fatty acid ester which is obtained from palm oil. This new rule is part of the Indonesian government's expanded B20 program that makes it mandatory for all vehicles to use biodiesel that consists of 20 percent biodiesel and 80 percent petroleum diesel.
The Indonesian government plans to speed up the implementation of the B30 biodiesel program in the country's transportation sector. Initially the government wanted to implement the program in 2020. However, the government now targets for 2019. The B30 program means that the mandatory content of fatty methyl ester in biofuel is raised to 30 percent.
In early April 2018 the United States confirmed steep anti-dumping duties and countervailing duties on Indonesian biodiesel imports. Published through the Federal Register the US imposed additional duties that range between 126.97 percent and 341.38 percent. For sure, this seriously harms the competitiveness of Indonesian biodiesel shipments to the world's top economy. If the policy is not altered, then it basically means the end of Indonesian biodiesel exports to the US market.
In local media in Indonesia it is reported that the Indonesian government, in this case the Trade Ministry of Indonesia, claims that Norway is on the brink of provoking a trade war against Indonesia. Indonesian Trade Minister Enggartiasto Lukita threatens Norway with retaliation if the Norwegian government goes ahead with parliament's vote to ban the public procurement and use of palm oil-based biofuel.
After the World Trade Organization (WTO) had ruled, largely, in favor of Indonesia (in January 2018) in the battle between Indonesia and the European Union (EU) regarding the latter's anti-dumping duties on Indonesian biodiesel exports, Indonesia has now also won its appeal at the EU court. The European Court of Justice, the highest court in the EU, ruled that the bloc needs to scrap its anti-dumping duties on imports of Indonesian biodiesel products that range between 8.8 - 23.3 percent.
Wilbur Ross, US Secretary of Commerce, stated that the US Department of Commerce issued an affirmative final anti-dumping duty on biodiesel shipments that originate from Indonesia. The statement was released overnight (21/02). The decision was made to improve the situation of local US biodiesel producers as their business was undermined by cheap biodiesel imports from Indonesia (and Argentina).
Latest Columns Biodiesel
In the first month of 2022, we detected some positive signs, both abroad and at home (in Indonesia) as there is growing evidence that the Omicron variant is encouraging strong herd immunity around the world, while not making too many people ill to the extent that they require hospitalization.
Indonesia is the world’s biggest palm oil grower as well as the world’s biggest exporter of crude palm oil (CPO). Traditionally, palm oil exports are ranked among the top three export products of Indonesia (along with coal and natural gas). As such, palm oil is of crucial importance for the Indonesian economy.
On 1 September 2018 the expanded B20 biodiesel program was launched. It means that the government of Indonesia requires all diesel fuel that is used within the country to contain biodiesel (with a 20 percent amount of bio-content, typically fatty acid methyl ester [FAME] that is derived from palm oil). This program will boost domestic palm oil consumption (which is important because palm oil exports are currently not doing too great amid low prices and anti-palm oil campaigns in various western countries), but more importantly the program aims to slash imports of fuel, hence encouraging a narrower current account deficit and a stronger rupiah. Meanwhile, the program also aims at reducing carbon emissions.
On Wednesday (18/04) Indonesian Industry Minister Airlangga Hartarto met Norwegian Minister of Fisheries Per Sandberg to discuss trade. In the meeting Hartarto requested easier access for several Indonesian products on the Norwegian market. For example, lower tariffs for textiles and footwear. Meanwhile, Indonesia also wants to keep access to Norway for products that are derived from palm oil. Recently, Norway's parliament voted to ban the public procurement and use of palm oil-based biofuel.
In the battle between Indonesia and the European Union (EU) regarding the latter's anti-dumping duties on Indonesian biodiesel exports, Indonesia won six out of seven legal challenges. Indonesia had challenged the EU's duties, set in 2013, on biodiesel imports from Indonesia and Argentina. The World Trade Organization (WTO) ruled, largely, in favor of Indonesia.
Crude palm oil (CPO) production in Indonesia and Malaysia is expected to decline due to the impact of the El Nino weather phenomenon (that brought a prolonged dry season to Southeast Asia). CPO production in Malaysia could fall between 1.5 and 2 million tons this year according to Dorab Mistry, Director at Godrej International. Declining output in the world's two leading palm oil producers and exporters implies that palm oil prices should be able to rise further. At the start of this week palm oil futures traded in Kuala Lumpur (June delivery) rose to 2,779 ringgit (approx. USD $695) per ton, the highest level since March 2014.
Although the Indonesian government has already announced that biodiesel subsidies have been raised to IDR 4,000 per liter (from IDR 1,500 per liter in 2014) and bioethanol to IDR 3,000 per liter (from IDR 2,000 last year) - in a move to protect the domestic biofuel industry as production costs exceed market prices amid the low global palm oil prices -, Indonesian biodiesel producers are eager to see the country’s biodiesel price is set based on a different benchmark than the Mean of Platts Singapore (MoPS).
Reserves of crude palm oil (CPO) in Indonesia may have declined for a second straight month in October on the back of drought and an increase in exports from Southeast Asia’s largest economy. The delayed impact of drought (which even managed to dry up several rivers in West Kalimantan in October) limited production of CPO in recent weeks. Meanwhile, exports have increased after Indonesia and Malaysia - the world’s two top palm oil producers - scrapped export taxes to boost demand for this commodity.
Indonesia has the potential to become a global force in the biodiesel industry because of the country’s position as the world’s top producer of crude palm oil (CPO). In 2014, Indonesia’s CPO production is estimated to total 30 million tons. Traditionally, Indonesia exports about 75 percent of its total CPO production, particularly to the giant economies of China and India. As such, this commodity is one of Indonesia's most important foreign exchange earners, apart from coal, in the non-oil and gas sector.
Usage of biodiesel for transportation in Indonesia is expected to reach 7.2 million kiloliter by 2015, a sharp increase from 600,000 kiloliter in the first nine months of 2013. State-owned Pertamina is expected to supply the extra 6.6 million kiloliter of biodiesel. The reason why the Indonesian government is eager to develop palm-based biofuel for transportation purposes is to reduce the country's reliance on the import of expensive diesel fuel. Imports of fuels and gas are the foremost reason that Indonesia is coping with a wide current account deficit.
Associated businesses Biodiesel
