How Trump's tariffs could drive up deforestation to feed demand for soybean oil

clock • 5 min read
Soy farming in the Brazilian Amazon rainforest region | Credit: iStock
Image:

Soy farming in the Brazilian Amazon rainforest region | Credit: iStock

Hefty US tariff hikes on Indonesian and Malaysian palm oil imports could serve to drive up demand for more land-use intensive soybean oil production, reports Anthony Harwood

Climate experts have warned that US tariffs risk driving up deforestation rates as rising palm oil prices force American consumers to turn to cheaper soybean oil, which requires more land to cultivate....

To continue reading this article...

Join BusinessGreen

In just a few clicks you can start your free BusinessGreen Lite membership for 12 months, providing you access to:

  • Three complimentary articles per month covering the latest real-time news, analysis, and opinion from Europe’s leading source of information on the Green economy and business
  • Receive important and breaking news stories via our daily news alert
  • Our weekly newsletter with the best of the week’s green business news and analysis

Join now

 

Already a BusinessGreen member?

Login

More on Policy

Biodiversity Net Gain: Industry warns lack of guidance risks delaying major infrastructure projects

Biodiversity Net Gain: Industry warns lack of guidance risks delaying major infrastructure projects

Trade body BNG Federation urges government to publish long awaited guidance on how to comply with forthcoming Biodiversity Net Gain requirements for nationally significant infrastructure projects

clock 07 April 2026 • 4 min read
'First step in modernising': EU moves forward with ETS reforms in response to energy market shocks

'First step in modernising': EU moves forward with ETS reforms in response to energy market shocks

European Commission tables proposals to 'increase the firepower' of the EU ETS carbon permit reserve, sparking fears it could water down flagship carbon pricing scheme

Stuart Stone
clock 02 April 2026 • 4 min read
Environment Agency reports record number of water company inspections

Environment Agency reports record number of water company inspections

Agency reveals number of inspections more than doubled to over 10,000 last year, as crackdown on sewage pollution continues

James Murray
clock 30 March 2026 • 3 min read