25 October 2006, Washington, D.C., USA

The biofuels industry has seen tremendous growth in recent years, fuelled in large part by border protection, subsidies, government procurement, tax relief and rebates, as well as by mandated shares in total transport fuel sales. Government support-monetary and non-monetary-to the production and consumption of biofuels has potentially large and difficult-to-predict implications for trade and the environment. The International Institute for Sustainable Development's Global Subsidies Initiative (publishers of this newsletter) has made quantifying the extent of subsidies to biofuels a priority. Studies have been undertaken in Australia, Brazil, Canada, the EU, the United States and Switzerland. On 25 October, 2006, the GSI will release its report on subsidies to biofuels in the United States.