EU Approves U.S. Soybeans for Biofuel Production

Tuesday's approval is bound to boost sales.

In this Sept. 21, 2018 file photo, Mike Starkey offloads soybeans from his combine as he harvests his crops in Brownsburg, Ind. The European Union has on Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2019 approved U.S. soybean exports to be used in the production of biofuels in an effort to boost such imports following last summer's trans-Atlantic meeting between President Donald Trump and his EU Commission counterpart Jean-Claude Juncker.
In this Sept. 21, 2018 file photo, Mike Starkey offloads soybeans from his combine as he harvests his crops in Brownsburg, Ind. The European Union has on Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2019 approved U.S. soybean exports to be used in the production of biofuels in an effort to boost such imports following last summer's trans-Atlantic meeting between President Donald Trump and his EU Commission counterpart Jean-Claude Juncker.
AP Photo/Michael Conroy, file

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union has approved U.S. soybean exports to be used in the production of biofuels in an effort to boost such imports following last summer's trans-Atlantic meeting between President Donald Trump and his EU Commission counterpart Jean-Claude Juncker.

The summit meeting was able to stave off a tariffs war on industrial goods like cars but Juncker made a commitment to buy more U.S. soybeans.

Sales have doubled since, but mostly because of market forces. Tuesday's approval that US soybeans can be used for biofuel is bound to boost sales even more.

EU Commission spokesman Margaritis Schinas says "today's decision is new proof that the EU is delivering ... this means that as of today it will be easier for US soybeans to enter the EU market."

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