US imports 339,000 barrels of Chinese used cooking oil amid biofuel demand surge
Updated
Updated · Bloomberg · Apr 28
US imports 339,000 barrels of Chinese used cooking oil amid biofuel demand surge
9 articles · Updated · Bloomberg · Apr 28
Two shipments recently arrived, with about half delivered to Port Arthur, Texas, for processing at the Diamond Green Diesel facility operated by Valero Energy and Darling Ingredients.
This marks the largest US import of Chinese used cooking oil in 2026, driven by stricter biofuel-blending rules and rising energy costs linked to the Iran war.
The increased imports highlight the US search for cost-effective biofuel feedstocks as global energy markets face volatility and domestic renewable fuel requirements intensify.
With a key US tax credit set to exclude Chinese oil, why is this biofuel feedstock boom happening now?
Will a flood of cheap foreign cooking oil undercut American farmers who supply the biofuel industry?
Is the US trading dependency on Middle Eastern oil for a new dependency on Chinese cooking oil?
If global energy prices stabilize, will this booming trade in used cooking oil suddenly collapse?
How can US producers verify that shiploads of imported cooking oil are not secretly virgin palm oil?