On Monday, after spotting Sen. Joni Ernst in the crowd at the White House, President Trump delayed announcement of the new North American trade pact to say that soon, “We’ll be doing something very important in Iowa.” The remark was interpreted to mean action on the year-round sale of E15.
Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue told a crowd at the Farm Progress Show in late August that the administration was “looking for the right balance” of the needs of ethanol makers and oil refiners to allow the year-round sale of E15, a 15-percent blend of ethanol into gasoline. Ernst’s office was not immediately available for comment.
Trump is scheduled to campaign for Republican candidates on Oct. 9 in Council Bluffs, Iowa, according to Politico, which said the event will be the forum for announcing the long-expected expansion of E15 sales, now banned during the summer. Farm groups have argued that year-round sales would mitigate the impact of the trade war on farm country.