Biofuels: "Fraudulent imported oils are taking our place" (Isabelle Weber, EsteriFrance)

'Fraudulent oil imports are taking the place of our production. To import less, the government must promote products such as B100, which is made from French crops, and support French renewable energy sources', declared Isabelle Weber, President of EsteriFrance, the French biodiesel producers' union, on 16/09/2025.

'Chinese fraud is pervading our economic sector. If we put an end to this, farmers could recover €200-€250 per hectare. We have therefore decided to take the European Commission to the Court of Justice of the EU for failing to act, by filing a case in April 2025. We assume that the Commission is not acting for diplomatic reasons with China, but also because of 'biofuel bashing', added Benjamin Lammert, president of the French federation of oilseed and protein crop producers (FOP) and Terres Univia, the interprofessional grouping for vegetable oils and proteins.

Between 2017 and 2023, China's exports of biofuels from used oils to Europe rose from 400,000 tonnes to 2.9 Mt. Considering the volumes involved, the French industry suspects fraud. It claims that China is not…