The Brazilian government has decided to export ethanol. "Brazil has got all the competitive advantages necessary to become a major supplier of the green fuel,' said Alcides Tapias, the country's development, industry and external trade minister. The global demand for ethanol is 40 billion litres annually. Brazil has installed a production capacity of 16 billion litres, with the possibility to produce more. "California alone represents a market of three billion litres per year and we can easily cater to this demand without any investment,' noted Tapias.