B&C® Biobased and Sustainable Chemicals Blog

The U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) announced on February 26, 2026, that it is undertaking a factfinding investigation to examine Chinese state support and pricing practices in the biotechnology sector and assess how these practices may be affecting the market share and competitiveness of the U.S. industry. USITC states that it is instituting this investigation, “Impact on U.S. Industry of China’s State Support and Pricing Practices in the Biotechnology Sector” (Inv. No....

On January 29, 2026, Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) introduced the Biosecurity Modernization and Innovation Act of 2026 (S. 3741) to establish a federal biosecurity framework. According to Cotton’s February 4, 2026, press release, the bill “will require gene synthesis providers screen their orders and customers for bad actors or dangerous pathogens, and will ensure that the U.S. government adopts a flexible and agile approach to biosecurity that will ensure American leadership in biosecurity.”...

On March 10, 2026, EuropaBio, the European Association for Bioindustries, will hold a webinar on “Navigating Biotech SME Funding: What’s available, How it works, What’s next for Europe.” According to EuropaBio, Europe’s biotech sector “continues to face significant financing challenges, especially during growth and scale‑up.” As the European Union (EU) moves forward with the landmark Biotech Act, the webinar will explore the funding tools available today, how companies can access...

In February 2026, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) published several petitions seeking a determination of nonregulated status for products developed using genetic engineering. Each petition states that the information provided indicates that the product is unlikely to pose a plant pest risk and therefore should not be regulated. In each case, APHIS prepared a draft plant pest risk assessment (PPRA) to assess the plant pest risk of...

The Department of the Treasury (Treasury Department) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued a proposed rule on February 4, 2026, regarding the clean fuel production credit enacted by the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 and amended by the One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). 91 Fed. Reg. 5160. The proposed regulations would provide rules for determining clean fuel production credits, including credit eligibility rules, emissions rates, and certification and registration requirements. In...

On February 4, 2026, the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology (NSCEB) announced the release of a fact sheet on biotechnology solutions for critical minerals. NSCEB notes that the United States is overly reliant on China for critical minerals. According to NSCEB, biotechnology “creates new paths to reduce our reliance on China by unlocking new sources of critical minerals right here in the United States.” NSCEB states that the recently-announced Project Vault and other...

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) posted a working paper on January 30, 2026, entitled A comparison of the innovation and regulatory environments for biotechnology and biosolutions across the European Union and the United States. According to the authors, the working paper “strengthens the evidence base for biotechnology policymaking by examining two critical dimensions: innovation-enabling conditions and regulatory practices.” Focusing on the European Union...

BB-REG-NET, a United Kingdom (UK) regulatory science network for biobased and biodegradable materials, published a report on January 29, 2026, entitled “Seven steps to fairness -- An LCA Framework for Impact Category Selection and Development in the Comparison of Fossil-Based, Bio-Based and Biodegradable Materials.” BB-REG-NET notes that existing lifecycle assessment (LCA) standards “were often developed with mature, fossil-based systems in mind, resulting in frameworks that may...

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced on January 29, 2026, that its Agile BioFoundry (ABF) is hosting its 2026 Industry Day on February 17, 2026, from 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. (PST) in Emeryville, California. Virtual participation will be available via Zoom. DOE invites stakeholders to join ABF to discover partnering opportunities and provide perspective on how DOE national laboratories can best support the biomanufacturing industry. The ABF Industry Day will include: Lightning talks on...

The National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology (NSCEB) has published a January 2026 discussion paper entitled “Creating Clear Regulatory Pathways for Biotechnology.” According to the paper, biotechnology regulations in the United States are complex, resulting in a slow process, while regulations in China and other countries allow developers to move ahead more quickly. The paper notes that the regulatory system in the United States is “built on laws that predate biotechnology,...