White House pressures biofuel companies to take deal on lifting blending mandates

White House officials pressured biofuel companies in a Wednesday meeting to take a deal that lifts biofuel blending mandates, warning they must accept the deal by Friday for regulatory purposes, three sources familiar with the discussions said.

The meeting was held to discuss the Trump administration's plan to increase the mandates, after its decision last month to exempt 31 refineries from an obligation to blend ethanol with gasoline stoked anger in the Farm Belt.