EU palm oil imports decline for a second consecutive season
European Union countries imported about 2.85 mln tons of palm oil in the MY 2025/26, down 5% from the previous season. The decline reflects the ongoing shift in the EU’s biofuel feedstock mix and increasingly stringent environmental regulations.
According to the German Union for the Promotion of Oil and Protein Plants (UFOP), the lower imports are mainly the result of legislative restrictions introduced by Germany, France and several other EU member states. Palm oil is being phased out of biofuel support schemes because it is classified as a feedstock with a high indirect land-use change (iLUC) risk. In addition, Germany’s Federal Office for Agriculture and Food (BLE) estimates that palm oil delivers an average greenhouse gas emission reduction of 77.5%, which is lower than that achieved by biofuels produced from used cooking oils and animal fats.
As a result, used cooking oils and animal fats are steadily replacing palm oil in the European market. According to AMI, EU imports of these feedstocks increased from 3.64 mln tons in 2023 to 4.60 mln tons in 2025. Germany’s decision to abolish the double-counting mechanism for certain waste oils has further accelerated this shift in demand.
The Netherlands remained the EU’s largest palm oil importer, purchasing about 1.05 mln tons, up 9% from the previous season. Much of these volumes enter through the ports of Rotterdam and Amsterdam for re-export to other EU countries, while a significant share is processed by the country’s biodiesel industry. Italy ranked second with imports of about 734 thsd tons, down 12% year-on-year.
Meanwhile, several countries increased their purchases. Spain boosted palm oil imports by 35% to around 392 thsd tons, while Germany increased imports by 20% to 273 thsd tons, supported by stronger demand from the food, chemical and feed industries. Imports also rose in France and Greece, whereas Denmark cut purchases by 38% to 52 thsd tons, and Sweden nearly halved its imports to around 38 thsd tons.
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