EU move to phase out soybeans as biofuel feedstock by 2030 threatens $2.2B in US exports

In Nebraska, Progressive Farmer reported that a decision by the European Commission on April 10, 2026, to phase out soybeans as a feedstock for biofuels by 2030 could have broader implications for U.S. agriculture, according to a new report from USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service.

The commission’s proposed regulation to update its methodology for determining what it says is high indirect land use change (ILUC) risks associated with biofuels hasn’t been finalized, according to the report.

U.S. soybean exports to the European Union in 2025 were valued at $2.2 billion, according to USDA.

Since the EU imports about 90% of its soy for biodiesel from the U.S., Brazil and Argentina, if the update is adopted by the European Parliament and the European Council, it could affect U.S. soybean export demand, the report added.

With current rules, the European Commission defines high ILUC-risk feedstocks as feedstocks for which the share of expansion of the production into land with high-carbon feedstock is higher than 10% since 2008, with an annual expansion of more than 1%.