EU palm oil imports fall due to exclusion from biofuel quotas

In the 2024/25 marketing year, EU Member States imported around 2.8 million tonnes of palm oil, down 20% on the previous year. The decline in demand was due to lower purchases by Spain and Italy, according to the German Union for the Promotion of Oilseeds and Cereals (UFOP).

The main importer of palm oil in the EU is the Netherlands, which purchased 959 thousand tonnes, down 2% on the previous year. However, it should be noted that ports such as Rotterdam and Amsterdam are central points for receiving imports from abroad and serve as gateways to the EU, from where palm oil is then shipped to other EU Member States. The Netherlands is also an important European hub for the production of biofuels, in particular HVO, for which large volumes of feedstock can be sent.

Italy is the second largest importer with 835 thousand tonnes, down 28% on the previous year.

The decline in palm oil imports to Spain is even more noticeable: according to a UFOP study, the country imported 289,000 tonnes, which is around 40% less than in the same period of 2023/24. Germany received 227,000 tonnes, which is around 12% less. Belgium and Sweden also imported significantly less palm oil from abroad – by 11% and 30%, respectively. Greece, Denmark and Ireland, on the contrary, increased imports.

UFOP attributes the decline in palm oil imports to its exclusion from biofuel quotas in the EU. Germany, France and the Netherlands have already refused to use it, and the association supports an expanded ban under RED III, including biofuels from production residues (POME). At the same time, UFOP calls on buyers to carefully check the origin of raw materials and proposes to increase the share of biofuels from agricultural crops to 5.9%, which will stabilize the market for raw materials for bioethanol and biomethane.

Earlier, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) lowered its estimate for soybean use in biofuel production in the 2024/25 season, but raised it by 6% for the 2025/26 season.

Tags: EU, palm oil, imports