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EU Draft Flags Soy as High ILUC Risk, Jeopardizing Argentina’s Biodiesel Trade

Argentine officials prepare technical, legal responses to defend a $350–$400 million annual market.

Overview

  • The European Commission has issued a technical draft revising ILUC criteria that, for the first time, classifies soybean as high risk; the measure remains under review and is not yet adopted.
  • If approved, the change would stop EU purchases of soy-based biodiesel and soy oil for energy use, effectively excluding Argentine supply from its only major export market for the fuel.
  • Industry group CIARA-CEC estimates annual losses of roughly $350–$400 million and warns of potential plant closures and job cuts across the biodiesel chain.
  • Argentine producers plan to file technical evidence disputing the ILUC findings, coordinate with the foreign and economy ministries, and may seek recourse at the WTO.
  • Argentina exported about 280,000 tonnes of biodiesel to the EU in 2025 worth around $350 million, holds a 1.2 million-tonne quota, and the draft would also affect Brazil and the United States.