Poland raises concerns over rising rapeseed oil imports while Ukrainian rapeseed remains banned

Concerns are growing in Poland over a sharp increase in rapeseed oil imports amid an ongoing ban on Ukrainian rapeseed. Local analysts and representatives of the crushing industry point out that Polish processors are losing opportunities to generate added value from crushing rapeseed, while imports of finished products continue to rise. According to European Commission data, Poland imported 83.9 thsd tons of rapeseed oil from non-EU countries between July 1 and October 25, 2026, becoming the largest importer of the product among EU member states.

Polish analyst Mirosław Marciniak reported that rapeseed oil imports increased 6.5-fold compared with the same period last year. Overall, the European Union imported 223.1 thsd tons of rapeseed oil from the beginning of the MY 2026/27 through October 25, including 182.7 thsd tons, or 81.9%, from Ukraine. However, Poland’s figure of 83.9 thsd tons includes imports from all non-EU countries. According to Marciniak, this volume of oil is equivalent to approximately 200 thsd tons of rapeseed that could otherwise have been processed by Polish crushing plants.

The main concern among Polish industry representatives is that imports of Ukrainian rapeseed remain prohibited, while finished rapeseed oil continues to enter the domestic market. According to the analyst, this situation benefits Ukrainian processors while limiting opportunities for Polish companies to capture added value from processing raw materials.

The contradiction was also highlighted by Anna Bryłka, a Member of the European Parliament from the Confederation party. According to her, instead of importing Ukrainian rapeseed, which remains banned, Poland is increasing purchases of processed products, particularly vegetable oils that compete with those produced by domestic companies. Representatives of Poland’s vegetable oil industry have also previously called for a review of the existing restrictions on Ukrainian rapeseed imports.

In particular, Mariusz Szeliга, president of the Polish Association of Oil Producers, previously stated that the ban on Ukrainian rapeseed imports effectively supports the development of crushing capacity in Ukraine, while Polish plants face shortages of raw materials. In his view, resuming rapeseed imports could partially address this problem. The association also emphasized that importing finished oil instead of rapeseed leaves the added value from processing outside the EU, while high energy costs and pricing pressure from retail chains further complicate the situation for Polish processors.

Tags: Ukraine, Poland, rapeseed, rapeseed oil