Vegetable oil prices rise amid high demand

Last week, a slight increase in quotations and prices for vegetable oils was recorded, caused by increased demand from Chinese importers on the eve of the holiday week.

November palm oil futures on the Bursa Malaysia exchange rose 2.7% during the week to 4,470 ringgit/t or $1,062/t, despite a significant reduction in September supplies to India.

India reduced palm oil imports by 15.9% in September to 833,000 tonnes, a four-month low, as refiners preferred cheaper soybean oil, according to five dealers.

According to Oil World, in June-August 2025, global palm oil exports reached 14.8 million tons — a record level for this period, which is 1.7 million tons more than last year.

• Indonesia increased exports to 8.9 million tons (versus 6.8 million tons a year ago),
• while Malaysia reduced supplies to 3.9 million tons (from 4.4 million tons)

Since the beginning of the 2024/25 season (September–August), global palm oil exports have amounted to 43.44 million tons (last year — 42.6 million tons), of which:

• Indonesia — 26.69 million tons (last year 25.37 million tons),
• Malaysia — 15.74 million tons (last year 16.23 million tons),
• Thailand — 1 million tons (at the same level as last year)

December soybean oil futures on the Chicago Board of Trade rose 3% in a week to $1,123/t (but remain 1% below the level a month ago), supported by increased exports.

India’s soybean oil imports in September rose by 37.3% to 505,000 tonnes (a 3-year high), while sunflower oil imports rose by 5.8% to 272,000 tonnes (an 8-month high).

Prices for sunflower oil delivered to India in October increased by 2% per week to $1,300/t C&F, which supports prices in Ukraine, which have returned to the level of $1,200–1,210/t with delivery to Black Sea ports.

The delay in the sunflower harvest in Ukraine continues to keep prices for seeds and oil high, and forecasts of a decrease in the palm oil harvest in Malaysia further support its quotes, which has a positive impact on the soybean and sunflower oil market.

At the same time, a sharp drop in oil prices could limit demand for biofuels, putting pressure on the vegetable oil market in the coming months.

Tags: sunflower oil, soybean oil, prices, palm oil, edible oils