
UK bioethanol industry blindsided by American trade deal
The future of Britain's bioethanol industry has been thrown into doubt by the UK's trade deal with America, putting hundreds of jobs at risk, the two leading manufacturers of the fuel have warned.
Sir Keir Starmer's decision to allow tariff-free access for large volumes of ethanol from American producers completely blindsided Britain's domestic industry, which fears it will be unable to compete with lower-cost US exports.
That threatens the viability of the plants operated by Ensus UK, which is based in Redcar, and Vivergo Fuels, which is owned by Associated British Foods and operates at Saltend, near Hull.
• Tariffs, tax and trust: the US trade deal's unanswered questions
The companies are seeking urgent talks with the government.
In a statement, a spokesman for Ensus,
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Times
13 minutes ago
- Times
Rough sleeping to be decriminalised
Rough sleeping is to be decriminalised after the government pledged to get rid of a 200-year-old law against vagrancy. Labour said the Vagrancy Act, which became law in 1824 and criminalises 'idle and disorderly persons, and rogues and vagabonds, in England', will be repealed by next spring. Angela Rayner, the deputy prime minister, who is also housing secretary, said Labour was 'drawing a line under nearly two centuries of injustice towards some of the most vulnerable in society'. She said: 'No one should ever be criminalised simply for sleeping rough and by scrapping this cruel and outdated law, we are making sure that can never happen again.' Rushanara Ali, the homelessness minister, said the 'archaic' law was 'neither just nor fit for purpose'. She added: 'Scrapping the Vagrancy Act for good is another step forward in our mission to tackle homelessness in all its forms, by focusing our efforts on its root causes.' The government said new 'targeted measures will ensure police have the powers they need to keep communities safe — filling the gap left over by removing previous powers'. These will be brought in through amendments to the Crime and Policing Bill. There will be new offences of facilitating begging for gain and trespassing with the intention of committing a crime. Ministers said that means organised begging by criminal gangs will remain a crime. It will be illegal for anyone to organise others to beg. Homelessness charities hailed the law change. Matt Downie, the Crisis chief executive, said: 'This is a landmark moment that will change lives and prevent thousands of people from being pushed into the shadows, away from safety.' He praised the government for showing 'principled leadership in scrapping this pernicious act'. He said: 'We hope this signals a completely different approach to helping people forced on to the streets and clears the way for a positive agenda that is about supporting people who desperately want to move on in life and fulfil their potential. We look forward to assisting the UK government with their forthcoming homelessness strategy to do exactly that.' Emma Haddad, chief executive of St Mungo's, said the act's repeal 'cannot come soon enough' and called for a 'focus on tackling the health, housing and wider societal issues that are causing homelessness in the first place'. Centrepoint, the youth homelessness charity, warned that a challenge would be 'ensuring that proposed amendments don't have the unintended consequences of punishing people instead of supporting them'.


Evening Standard
22 minutes ago
- Evening Standard
Starmer and Reynolds meet US commerce secretary in push to implement trade deal
Mr Lutnick was in London for talks with China on resolving the trade war between Washington and Beijing, and Mr Reynolds took the opportunity to meet him in person to push for the UK-US trade deal announced last month to be implemented as soon as possible.


The Sun
28 minutes ago
- The Sun
Lidl is selling a £4 tool that will help you perfect your BBQs this summer
LIDL shoppers can get a new BBQ tool for just £4 that will help you cook your chicken perfectly. The Grillmeister Barbecue Chicken Roaster is landing in Lidl stores this Thursday as a middle aisle buy. That means you'll need to act fast to snap it up as once it's gone, it's gone. The BBQ tool costs just £3.99 and Lidl says it will help you get "perfectly cooked chicken" that's crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. The accessory is made from stainless steel and is suitable for ovens and BBQs with lids. It comes with a container for seasoning liquids as the chicken is flavoured during the barbecuing process. The tool is also suitable for other types of poultry. In comparison, Amazon has a chicken barbeque rack for a more expensive £6.99 while the Big Green Egg charges £20. The Lidl deal comes just as the weather finally starts to heat up again. A heatwave could hit parts of the UK this week as temperatures soar to highs of 29C, the Met Office has said. The warm air is set to push temperatures as high as 29C by Friday. More BBQ items will also be dropping in the Middle of Lidl this Thursday. 40 Day Health Challenger shares healthy weekly Lidl shop If you're in need of the BBQ itself, you can pick up the Grillmeister Ceramic Barbecue for £79.99. Alternatively if you'd rather cook pizzas in the garden you can get the Grillmeister Gas Pizza Oven for the same price. There are also plenty of accessories, including the Grillmeister Cast Iron Grill Pan or the Cast Iron Griddle for £14.99 each. Burger fans can get the Burger Press for £3.99 or the Burger Cloche for the same price. Or they can get a three-piece Burger Kit for £6.99 which includes a burger press, turner and burger bell for cooking in a gratin style. Again if pizza is more your thing, you can get a Pizza Cutter for £6.99 or a Pizza Peel Paddle for the same price. There is also a 12-piece set of BBQ utensils including a knife, fork, spatula, tongs, skewers and corn skewers for £19.99. Government advice on BBQ safety The UK Government have issued some guidelines for staying safe whilst using a barbecue: Keep a bucket of water, sand or a garden hose nearby for emergencies. Follow the safety instructions provided with your gas, charcoal, or disposable barbecue. Never use a barbecue indoors, in a tent, under an awning or in a caravan. Use enough charcoal to cover the base of the barbecue, but not more (normally around 5cms or 2 inches). Keep children, pets and garden games away from the cooking area. After cooking, make sure the barbecue is cool before moving it. Empty ashes onto bare garden soil, not into dustbins or wheelie bins. If they're hot, they can melt the plastic and cause a fire. Make sure your barbecue is well away from sheds, fences, trees, shrubs or garden waste. In the countryside or public park areas, only use disposable barbecues where there are specially designated areas and carefully follow the safety guidance. Enjoy yourself, but don't drink too much alcohol if you are in charge of the barbecue. Never use petrol or paraffin to start or revive your barbecue; use only recognised lighters or starter fuels on cold coals.