Sao Paulo, Oct 17 - Plummeting U.S. ethanol prices have undermined Brazilian biofuel exports to the United States despite a weakening local currency that makes Brazil biofuels more competitive, traders said on Thursday.
Exports to the United States, Brazil's main ethanol market abroad, have frozen as prices there dropped and demand for the fuel slumped, they said.
"There have been some inquiries and some business done with African countries, India and Europe, but the U.S. market is completely closed due to the (low) local prices," said Tarcilo Rodrigues, director at Bioagencia trading company.
Brazil's local currency, the real dropped nearly 30 percent since early August, raising Brazilian exporters' gains in local terms despite a drop in ethanol prices in dollars.
Overall, ethanol demand abroad has been volatile, with prices and conditions changing daily, tracking the currency rate, traders said.
Recent exports to India, for example, were possible only due to a momentary drop in the local cane molasses supply and are not likely to be repeated in the near future, traders said.
Three to four shipments were sold to India, one of the traders said.
Sales to the United States are also unlikely to recover as demand remains weak in the U.S. market and local prices are falling. Ethanol is now being traded on the spot market at around $1.85 per gallon, well off the $2.50-$3 high in May, when floods hit the Midwest corn crop, boosting exports from Brazil as well as FOB prices.
Brazil's center-south is harvesting a record cane crop.
Ethanol is the region's priority over sugar as domestic consumption increases strongly, and local prices are expected to rise as supplies will remain low during inter-harvest (Dec-March).
"I believe the focus of mills now is going to be on the domestic market. Exports will happen only occasionally," Rodrigues said.
On the domestic market, hydrate ethanol is traded at around $360 per cubic meter (without taxes, at the mill).
Brazil's center-south has closed deals to export 3.8 billion to 3.9 billion liters so far this season. About 75 percent of this volume has already been shipped, said Antonio de Padua Rodrigues, technical director at the Sugar Cane Industry Association (Unica).
Unica's ethanol exports forecast for the current season is 4.2 billion liters but actual shipments could fall short due to current low prices in the U.S. market, Padua said.