Australia remains the EU’s largest rapeseed supplier despite lower exports

Australia remained the European Union’s largest rapeseed supplier in the 2025/26 season despite a sharp decline in shipments. According to Germany’s Union for the Promotion of Oil and Protein Plants (UFOP), Australian rapeseed exports to the EU fell by 41%, from 3.5 mln tons in 2024/25 to 2.14 mln tons.

Ukraine remained the second-largest supplier, delivering 1.6 mln tons of rapeseed to the EU, down 34% year on year. Imports from Canada also declined to 870 thsd tons, compared with 1.1 mln tons in the previous season.

UFOP noted that Canadian rapeseed, which is predominantly produced from genetically modified varieties, faces restrictions for food use in the EU. As a result, rapeseed oil imported from Canada is used mainly for biofuel production.

Overall, EU imports of rapeseed from non-EU countries fell to 5.4 mln tons in the 2025/26 season, compared with 7.5 mln tons a year earlier. According to the European Commission, the decline was mainly driven by a larger domestic rapeseed harvest, reducing the bloc’s need for imports.

Despite extreme weather conditions ahead of the new harvest, UFOP expects another strong EU rapeseed crop in 2026. This could continue to limit import demand and intensify competition among the world’s leading rapeseed exporters.

Tags: EU, rapeseed, Australia, Ukraine