Ukraine accounts for 94% of EU sunflower oil imports – UFOP

Ukraine is still the largest supplier of sunflower oil to EU countries, although oil shipments are lower than last year, according to the European Commission.

From July 1, 2024 to February 2, 2025, Union countries imported about 1.24 million tons of sunflower oil, down significantly from 1.51 million tons in the same period last year but still slightly above the 1.13 million tons in the 2022/23 season. However, imports have lost momentum noticeably in recent weeks. While weekly volumes were still up to 59,000 tons in December, the Union was still receiving just under 25,000 tons per week in early February, according to the German Oilseeds and Grains Promotion Association (UFOP).

To date, Ukraine has supplied the EU market with 1.17 million tons of sunflower oil, which corresponds to a market share of 94%. However, this is less than the previous year’s figure of 1.40 million tons. The reason for this is a significant reduction in the supply of raw materials in the current season. This slows down processing and limits the export potential of sunflower oil from the country. Serbia and Bosnia are the second and third most important suppliers with market shares of 3% and almost 1% respectively. Here, export volumes are also not approaching the previous year’s figures, the Association notes.

Tags: Ukraine, sunflower oil, EU, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina