The US biofuels industry has criticised a relief package announced by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on 15 October that was meant to address the large number of small refineries exempted from having to blend biofuels.

Ahead of the EU’s ban of D4 and D5 silicones in wash-off personal care products from January 2020, German speciality chemicals firm Clariant recently launched a plant oil-based silicone range.

France’s constitutional court has upheld a law excluding palm oil from the country’s biofuel scheme, a decision which French oil and gas giant Total says puts its recently launched La Mède renewable diesel refinery at risk.

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has significantly lowered its estimate for 2019/20 world soyabean stocks, according to Germany’s Union for the Promotion of Oil and Protein Plants (UFOP).

Indonesia will not be collecting levies from palm oil exports until 1 January 2020 in order to protect farmer incomes, Reuters reported on 24 September.

BASF will increase its R&D budget and launch 30 new products, including eight active ingredients, as well as seeds in hybrid wheat, soyabean, canola, cotton and vegetables.

Cargill has reduced the amount of plastic it uses for its vegetable oil bottles and containers by nearly 1,200 tonnes globally, the global agribusiness company announced on 2 October.

US President Donald Trump announced a “very substantial phase one deal” on 11 October to solve the country’s long-running trade dispute with China.

A sustainable coconut oil project involving US agribusiness giant Cargill, German chemicals firm BASF and global consumer goods corporation Procter & Gamble (P&G) has resulted in certified farmers earning 47% more in income in the Philippines and Indonesia.

Dry bulk and tanker shipping firm DryShips Inc – which recently acquired global tanker pool operator Heidmar Inc – has reported a net loss of US$12.7M for its second quarter 2019 as it works to upgrade its fleet.

Deforestation from oil palm plantations on the island of Borneo has steadily declined since peaking in 2012, according to the digital tool Borneo Atlas.

Canadian canola producers have been looking towards the EU biodiesel industry to pick up the export slack resulting from trade tensions with China.

Russian state bank VTB has reached an agreement to buy a controlling interest in railway holding company RusTransCom (RTC group).