The USA exported almost 50,000 barrels/day (bpd) of renewable diesel and ‘other biofuels’ – including sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) – in the second half of 2025, according to US Energy Information Administration (EIA) data.
Exports comprised about 20% of the combined production for these fuels with around half going to Canada, about one-third to the Netherlands and the remainder mostly going to other European destinations, the EIA said in its 7 May report.
In comparison, the USA exported 13% of fuel ethanol and 7% of biodiesel produced in the same period.
By US region, most renewable diesel exports were shipped from the US Gulf Coast (PADD 3) followed by the West Coast (PADD 5), with most shipments from both regions going to Europe and some to Canada. The remaining exports departed from the Midwest (PADD 2) and Rocky Mountains (PADD 4), with all those volumes going to Canada.
Data on US renewable diesel exports was introduced in the EIA’s March 2025 Petroleum Supply Monthly (PSM) report, adding to existing details of production, imports, inter-regional movements and stock changes to provide a more complete understanding of how much renewable diesel is consumed in specific US regions.
In addition to SAF, the ‘other biofuels’ category includes renewable heating oil, renewable naphtha, renewable propane, renewable gasoline, and other emerging biofuels in various stages of development and commercialisation.
Other biofuels are produced as by-products at biofuels production facilities that primarily produce renewable diesel or a combination of renewable diesel and SAF.
“Combining total production and exports of both renewable diesel and other biofuels provides a more accurate account of exports of total renewable fuels produced at renewable diesel and SAF plants,” the EIA said.
In the first two months of 2026, exports of renewable diesel and other biofuels averaged less than 35,000bpd, compared with almost 50,000bpd in the second half of 2025.
Lower exports at the start of this year were mainly due to lower production, with many renewable diesel producers idling capacity while waiting for the release of final blending targets for 2026 under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), which were announced on 27 March, the EIA said.
