US exported one fifth of renewable diesel and SAF output in 2025

U.S. renewable diesel and other biofuels exports averaged nearly 50,000 barrels per day in the second half of 2025, equal to about 20% of combined production, a share that underscored how a fuel slate built around domestic decarbonization still followed the strongest market pulls abroad. About half of those barrels went to Canada, while most of the remainder moved to Europe, according to U.S. Energy Information Administration data.

The export tally is complicated by the way the government now tracks the fuel. The EIA introduced renewable diesel export reporting in the March 2025 Petroleum Supply Monthly, then said in the April 2026 issue that the U.S. Census Bureau code HTS 2710.19.4550 also captures sustainable aviation fuel. Because U.S. SAF output remains relatively low and is folded into the EIA’s Other Biofuels category, some SAF volumes are likely counted inside the renewable diesel export series. That makes the 20% export share a signal of market direction, not just a pure product-by-product accounting exercise.

The trade flow weakened early in 2026. In the first two months of the year, exports averaged less than 35,000 barrels per day, down from almost 50,000 barrels per day in the second half of 2025. The EIA said the drop mostly reflected lower production, as many renewable diesel producers idled capacity while waiting for final 2026 Renewable Fuel Standard blending targets, which were announced March 27, 2026. Monthly EIA data show exports at 57,000 barrels per day in October 2025, 52,000 in November, 39,000 in December, 18,000 in January, 50,000 in February and 33,000 in March.

Destination and geography also point to a split market. Most renewable diesel shipments from the U.S. Gulf Coast and West Coast went to Europe, while barrels from the Midwest and Rocky Mountain region went to Canada. Canada remained the largest single destination across the months the EIA tracked, reflecting the pull of nearby logistics and blending demand. The export share for renewable diesel and other biofuels also stood above other major U.S. biofuels in the same period, at about 20% versus 13% for fuel ethanol and 7% for biodiesel, a gap that highlights how renewable diesel pricing and policy arbitrage have kept overseas markets in play even as domestic capacity expanded.