Statewide, Iowa (RI) – Senator Chuck Grassley says Iowa plants that produce soybean oil will benefit if President Trump follows through on a threat he made on social media last Tuesday night.
China hasn’t purchased any U.S. soybeans since May, and Trump says he may seek retribution by blocking U.S. imports of Chinese cooking oil. Presidents have the power to regulate imports during national emergencies, but Grassley isn’t sure Trump has that authority in this case.
Grassley says there are quite a few companies in other states that import used cooking oil to make biofuels — and China is already being investigated for what’s in the cooking oil it has been shipping to the U.S.
There was a significant increase in Chinese cooking oil imports last year, and Senator Joni Ernst has said the integrity of the Renewable Fuels Standard is being undermined if palm oil is being mixed into cooking oil imports. Environmentalists have also raised concerns, as palm oil production is responsible for cutting down millions of trees.
KIWA Staff Photo
