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Malaysia's palm oil stocks rose for a fifth consecutive month in July to their highest level in almost two years as production growth outpaced exports, data from the industry regulator showed on Monday

Malaysia’s palm oil exports increased by 3.82 per cent month-on-month (m-o-m) to1.30 million tonnes in July from 1.26 million tonnes in June, according to the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB).

In response to a growing number of “No Palm Oil” marketing campaigns by select food brands, Dr. Rajeev Churi, National President of the Oil Technologists’ Association of India (OTAI), has expressed concern over what he describes as the deliberate exploitation of consumer sentiment through fear-based messaging.

Head of the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) Laksana Tri Handoko emphasized his full support for the down-streaming of palm oil to create value-added derivative products

Oil prices rose on Tuesday as the United States and China extended a pause on higher tariffs, easing concerns an escalation of their trade war would disrupt their economies and crimp fuel demand in the world’s two largest oil consumers.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday urged China to quadruple its soybean purchases ahead of a key tariff truce deadline, sending Chicago soybean prices higher, though analysts were quick to question the feasibility of any such deal.

Indonesia’s palm oil exports in MY 2024/25 will fall to 22.8 million tonnes due to lower demand from key buyers such as India, China and the US, as well as the impact of the B40 mandate on biodiesel. However, production is forecast to increase by 3% to 47 million tonnes in 2025/26, driven by favourable weather conditions and sufficient fertiliser use, Kedia Advisory said.

Malaysian palm oil futures closed more than 3% up, its highest close since April 3, after Malaysia Palm Oil Board’s (MPOB) supply data and cargo surveyors’ export estimates were published on Monday

The crude palm oil (CPO) futures contract on Bursa Malaysia Derivatives is likely to trade lower this week, amid expectations of higher production and stock levels.

The Executive Order issued on July 31 further modified the US reciprocal tariffs and imposed a more uniform tariff at 19% to 20% for six of the 10 ASEAN countries: the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia. Laos and Myanmar have been slapped with the highest tariffs at 40%, while Brunei’s is 25%. In contrast, the April “Liberation Day” tariffs were more widely dispersed, ranging from 17% to 49%, with the Philippines having one of the lowest US tariffs following Singapore at 10%.

Malaysia does not see India’s ambitious push for self-reliance in edible oils through the National Mission on Edible Oils – Oil Palm (NMEO-OP) as a threat but as a strategic opportunity. The Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC) has welcomed the initiative as a forward-looking step to boost India’s edible oil security, while reaffirming the role of Malaysia, the world’s second-largest producer of palm oil, as a key and long-term supplier.

The Sarawak Dayak Oil Palm Planters Association (Doppa) has called for Sarawak to be given priority in the federal government’s RM1.4 billion allocation for oil palm replanting under the 13th Malaysian Plan (13MP).