Finalize RFS
America’s farmers have long fed and fueled this nation, and efforts to restore access to the China market and expand export opportunities for U.S. soy are deeply appreciated. However, continued growth in domestic markets remains essential. The Administration should prioritize finalizing federal biofuel policies that expand production while maximizing the use of American-grown feedstocks like soybean oil. A critical step is finalizing EPA’s proposal to limit Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) credit generation for foreign feedstocks and biofuels through the half-RIN mechanism.
Rebuilding the RFS as Congress Intended
EPA’s current proposal puts the RFS back on track with its original purpose when it was created 20 years ago: to strengthen American energy independence, support U.S. manufacturing, and promote rural prosperity. Strong biomass-based diesel volumes and the half-RIN provision are essential to ensuring the program once again prioritizes American feedstocks rather than imported used cooking oil and foreign tallow.
U.S. Soybean Oil Is Being Displaced by Imported Waste Feedstocks
Today, roughly half of all soybean oil produced in the United States is used in biodiesel production. Yet soybean oil is increasingly at risk of being displaced by imported “waste” feedstocks, including used cooking oil and beef tallow, which are aggressively incentivized under West Coast low-carbon fuel policies. These state programs have pushed U.S. agricultural feedstocks into “residual” roles — used only when cheaper foreign inputs are exhausted — undermining the goals of the federal RFS.
EPA’s proposal is a meaningful step toward reversing this trend. As foreign feedstocks and foreign-produced biofuels grew in market share, soybean prices fell sharply. The strong biomass-based diesel volumes and half-RIN included in EPA’s proposal are vital tools to ensure domestic feedstocks regain their rightful place in the U.S. biofuel supply chain.
The U.S. Soy Processing Industry Is Ready to Deliver
NOPA represents 98 percent of U.S. soybean processing capacity, and its member companies can process 60 percent of all soybeans grown in the United States. Since 2023, the industry has invested over $6 billion to expand domestic crush capacity by 25 percent, with new plants, upgrades, and expansions across rural communities. These investments are already creating new jobs and new market opportunities for farmers, but they require policy certainty to succeed.
The Path Forward
Given the economic pressures facing farmers and processors, the Administration should act swiftly to finalize the RFS 2026–2027 proposal this year, including:
- Maintaining strong biomass-based diesel volumes
- Implementing the half-RIN to curb the growing surge of foreign waste feedstocks
Timely action will help stabilize markets, strengthen American energy independence, support U.S. soybean farmers, and sustain rural communities.
Organized in 1930, the National Oilseed Processors Association (NOPA) represents the U.S. soybean, canola, flaxseed, safflower seed, and sunflower seed-crushing industries. NOPA’s membership is engaged in the processing of oilseeds for meal and oil that are utilized in the manufacturing of food, feed, renewable fuels, and industrial products. NOPA’s 20 member companies operate 71 softseed and soybean solvent extraction plants across 20 states, crushing over 98% of all soybeans processed in the United States, the equivalent to more than 2 billion bushels annually. More information at www.NOPA.org.