China’s sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) exports are growing rapidly, with the European Union serving as its primary destination. Total SAF exports from China reached ~138 million gallons in the first half of 2026, with Belgium, the Netherlands, and Spain among the largest importers (see Exhibit 1).
Exhibit 1. China’s SAF export volumes and destinations through the first half of 2026 (Million gallons).
As European SAF demand continues to grow, driven by the ReFuelEU Aviation mandate, the Chinese government has also expanded SAF export quotas to support growing trade flows into the European market. Most recently, Zhejiang Blue Whale Bioenergy became the sixth Chinese SAF producer authorized to export SAF, bringing China’s combined SAF export quota to ~330 million gallons per year (mgpy).
However, several challenges could affect the market access and long-term competitiveness of Chinese SAF producers in Europe. First, increasingly stringent sustainability and traceability requirements for SAF imports into the EU under the EU’s SAF compliance framework could hinder Chinese SAF producers’ access to the European market. Second, the cost competitiveness of Chinese SAF exports could be undermined by the potential introduction of trade protection measures, such as anti-dumping duties or tariffs. Finally, the emergence of new SAF production hubs across Asia could intensify competition for Chinese SAF producers.
In the ninety-third edition of ADI’s biweekly SAF newsletter, SAF Tracker, ADI explores in depth the emerging challenges that could affect the long-term competitiveness and market access of Chinese SAF producers in global markets, as well as the measures currently being pursued by the Chinese government and industry players to address these challenges.
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