This week’s DataPoint is brought to you by the Precision Farming Dealer Summit, coming to St. Louis Jan. 5-6. To learn more visit PrecisionSummit.com 

According to USDA, total demand for U.S. fuel ethanol has grown since 2016. Data from March 2025 showed the U.S. average blend rate was 10.1%, the ninth consecutive month above the implied minimum Federal blend rate of 10%, while the 12-month moving average blend rate stood at 10.2%. The average blend rate has largely been at 10% or higher since 2020. Increasing blend rates have helped maintain domestic ethanol consumption at a steady level despite reduced demand for finished motor gasoline. Moreover, since 2023, international demand for ethanol has steadily risen and provided additional support for U.S. fuel ethanol production. In March 2025, U.S. ethanol exports rose to their fifth-highest monthly total of all time —1 96 million gallons, up from 110 million gallons in March 2016 — pushing the 12-month-average export level to a record-high 167 million gallons.

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