Grassley, Marshall Seek Answers from Biden Admin on Surge in Used Cooking Oil Imports

WASHINGTON – Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), a member of the Senate Agriculture and Finance committees, today joined Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) to press the Biden administration on the steps it’s taking to address the recent surge in used cooking oil (UCO) imports. The U.S. last year imported 3 billion pounds of UCO, half of which came from China; that’s up from a total of 200 million pounds imported in 2020. 

The senators’ letter to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Department of Agriculture (USDA), the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reads, in part: 

“[…] There is concern by some in the renewable fuels industry that large amounts of imported UCO may be a blend of UCO with virgin vegetable oils such as palm oil, which is directly linked to deforestation in Southeast Asia. This would constitute fraudulent value distortion of the commodity designed to take advantage of U.S. tax incentives in addition to Renewable Identification Number (RIN) fraud under the RFS. 

“[…] We are concerned with the lack of transparency surrounding the United States’ efforts in the area of verifying imported UCO, specifically as it relates to 1) ensuring the integrity of the imported UCO by validating that traceability requirements have been met; and 2) evaluating the chemical composition of the imported UCO.”

Grassley and his colleagues further note taxpayers subsidize certain feedstocks through clean fuel policies. The lawmakers are seeking to ensure the integrity of those programs is intact, and that they adequately root out counterfeits. 

Additional cosigners include Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.) and Deb Fischer (R-Neb.).

Read the full letter HERE. Download audio of Grassley discussing the letter HERE.  

Background: 

This UCO effort is among several initiatives Grassley is leading to support U.S. biofuel feedstock producers, particularly in light of harmful Biden administration regulations. 

• Grassley is leading a broad push to strengthen 2026 Renewable Fuel Standard levels. 
• He teamed up with Rep. Randy Feenstra (R-Iowa) to urge the Biden administration to increase 2024-25 Renewable Volume Obligations.
• With specific regard to grain feedstocks, Grassley consistently advocates for their incorporation into sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). He’s calling on the Biden administration to follow the science-based GREET Model. The Biden administration’s decision to politicize the formula has left many corn and soybean producers ineligible for SAF tax credits in the short term and created uncertainty about longer-term prospects. 

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