Contact: Cassidy Walter
515-252-6249

JOHNSTON, IOWA – As world trade negotiations make daily news, the Administrator of the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service Ken Isley and U.S. Grains Council (USGC) Manager of Global Ethanol Market Development Lucas Szabo will provide a timely update on trade opportunities and challenges facing biofuels producers at the 2020 Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit.

“Growing international trade for ethanol and biodiesel impacts the bottom line of every biofuel producer and farmer in the United States,” said Iowa Renewable Fuels Association Executive Director Monte Shaw. “We’re excited to be joined by two experts who can share the latest intelligence on international market opportunities. Summit attendees will learn the latest on efforts to remove barriers for ethanol in Brazil, China, and many other markets, as well as the status of our fight to keep out illegally dumped biodiesel imports.”

Isley and Szabo will be joined by Rick Schwarck, President and CEO of Absolute Energy and USGC’s Ethanol A-Team leader, who will moderate the discussion.

The 2020 Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit will take place at the Prairie Meadows Conference Center on January 16, 2020. The Summit is free to attend and open to the public, but registration is required. To register to attend or learn more about the Summit, please visit: IowaRenewableFuelsSummit.org.

The Iowa Renewable Fuels Association represents the state’s liquid renewable fuels industry and works to foster its growth. Iowa is the nation’s leader in renewable fuels production with 43 ethanol refineries capable of producing over 4.5 billion gallons annually – including 34 million gallons of annual cellulosic ethanol production capacity – and 11 biodiesel facilities with the capacity to produce nearly 400 million gallons annually. For more information, visit the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association website at: www.IowaRFA.org.

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