Thailand has stopped accepting shipments of U.S. dried distillers’ grains (DDG) because of new fumigation requirements it imposed after beetles were found in a shipment last year, according to reports.
The Thai government is requiring certification of U.S. DDG shipments to show that they have been “properly fumigated,” but the two countries disagree on what gas is the best method for fumigation.
In 2018, Thai authorities found the Khapra beetle in two DDG shipments from the U.S., in August and November. Effective January 1, Thai regulations require that all DDG shipments entering the country be fumigated with methyl bromide, but U.S. shippers prefer to use phosphine.
DDG are a byproduct of ethanol production and are used as an ingredient in animal feed.
Thailand a key market
Thailand is a key export market for U.S. ethanol producers, especially since China stopped buying U.S. DDG amid the trade dispute between the two countries. Thailand was the fourth largest importer of U.S. DDG in 2017, when it imported 738,413 tons of the product.
Demand elsewhere in Asia and in Mexico has been strong.
In 2017, Vietnam stopped accepting DDG imports after officials there found beetles in the shipments. The ban was lifted after U.S. and Vietnamese officials agreed to fumigation protocols.
