India denies US ethanol import commitments

On August 6, 2026, the Indian India — Ministry of Trade and Industry issued a statement denying media reports that India had agreed to import ethanol from the United States for fuel blending as part of ongoing India-US trade negotiations. The ministry clarified that no concessions or commitments regarding ethanol imports for fuel blending have been made, and that India's Ethanol Blended with Petrol (EBP) Programme continues to rely entirely on domestically produced ethanol. The statement called the reports 'baseless and factually incorrect.' The clarification came amid controversy over India's push to make E20 (20% ethanol blend) the default fuel, with critics raising concerns about fuel efficiency and vehicle compatibility. India — Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal had alleged the government planned to introduce ethanol blending in diesel and aviation turbine fuel, urging consumers to delay vehicle purchases. The India-US trade talks, ongoing since March, have become more complex after the US Supreme Court struck down reciprocal tariffs and the United States — United States Trade Representative initiated Section 301 investigations into several countries, including India.