Turkey increases soybean imports from Brazil while cutting shipments from Ukraine by 33%

Turkey increased its soybean imports by 1% in the MY 2025/26 compared with the previous season, reaching a record 4.24 mln tons. Brazil became the leading supplier, boosting soybean exports to the Turkish market by 41% to 2.9 mln tons. According to the International Trade Centre (ITC), Brazil’s share of Turkey’s total soybean imports rose from 48% to 67%, highlighting its strengthening position in the market.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian soybean shipments to Turkey declined by 33% in the MY 2025/26 to 739 thsd tons. As a result, Ukraine’s share of Turkish imports fell from 26% to 17%. A similar trend was observed for US soybeans, with imports dropping by 29% to 604 thsd tons and their market share decreasing from 20% to 14%. Thus, Brazil significantly strengthened its competitive position at the expense of other major suppliers.

Brazil’s export expansion has been supported by a large soybean crop and efforts to find additional markets. At the same time, Turkey continues to increase purchases to meet the needs of its domestic processing industry. According to USDA forecasts, the country’s soybean imports could reach a new record of 4.55 mln tons in the MY 2026/27, up 310 thsd tons from the previous season.

Growing imports of raw materials have been accompanied by an expansion of soybean processing and increased exports of soybean products. In the MY 2025/26, Turkey boosted soybean meal exports by 47% to a record 1.6 mln tons. Meanwhile, soybean oil exports declined by 1% to 465 thsd tons but remained at the second-highest annual level in the country’s history. This indicates continued strong demand for Turkish soybean processing products.

Middle Eastern countries remain the main buyers of Turkish soybean meal, while Algeria is the largest export market for soybean oil. In addition, Turkey is expanding exports of soybean processing products to the European Union. Further growth in the country’s import requirements could create additional opportunities for global soybean suppliers, although Ukrainian exporters will face competition from Brazil, which already accounts for the majority of the Turkish market.

Tags: soybean, oilseeds, imports, Ukraine, Turkey, Brazil