Malaysia’s palm oil exports fall in first half of April due to drop in shipments to the Middle East
05/05/2026 (Oils and Fats International) - Malaysian palm oil exports fell in the first half of April due to lower shipments to the Middle East, commodity price reporting agency Fastmarkets reported, citing data from cargo surveyor Intertek Testing Services (ITS).
According to ITS data, Malaysia’s palm oil exports totalled 580,018 tonnes from 1-15 April, down by 324,724 tonnes – or 35.89% – from 904,742 tonnes shipped during the same period the previous month.
The figure included exports of crude palm oil (CPO), processed palm oil, palm kernel oil (PKO), oleochemicals and palm oil waste but excluded shipments of used cooking oil (UCO), the 20 April report said.
Exports fell to most regional destinations, with the largest drop in shipments to the Middle East at 11,550 tonnes, a drop of 114,650 tonnes from 126,200 tonnes shipped in March.
No shipments were made to Egypt and Iran in the period compared to shipments of 25,200 tonnes and 61,0000 tonnes respectively the previous month, while exports to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) dropped by 37,000 tonnes to 3,000 tonnes.
Malaysia also exported 2,250 tonnes of palm oil to Oman and 6,300 tonnes to Saudi Arabia, compared to no shipments the previous month.
Palm oil shipments from Malaysia to India and the sub-continent also fell in the first half of April to 107,500 tonnes, down from 177,600 tonnes in March.
The decline was driven by a reduction in exports to India, with ITS data showing volumes at 102,300 tonnes from 150,600 tonnes, while there were no shipments to Pakistan compared to 25,000 tonnes the previous month.
Meanwhile, exports to Sri Lanka increased by 3,200 tonnes to 5,200 tonnes.
The bulk of Malaysia’s palm oil exports to India comprised CPO at 84,700 tonnes, with volumes falling from 143,300 tonnes in March.
Exports to the African continent also fell during the period by 35,269 tonnes to 151,550 tonnes, with the largest decline seen in exports to Togo (down 32,500 tonnes to 500 tonnes), followed by to Kenya (down 22,229 tonnes to 80,850 tonnes).
However, the drop in shipments to the continent was partially offset by higher shipments to Djibouti (up by 20,200 tonnes compared to no shipments in March), Mozambique (up by 12,280 tonnes to 25,200 tonnes) and South Africa (up by 9,300 tonnes to 12,800 tonnes).
Malaysia’s palm oil exports to China totalled 54,760 tonnes in the period, compared to 67,550 tonnes the previous month.
Almost half of the shipments to China comprised refined bleached deodorised (RBD) palm stearin at 23,300 tonnes, a drop of 10,850 tonnes from the same period in March, while exports of RBD palm olein rose by 6,700 tonnes to 11,000 tonnes.
Malaysia also shipped more RBD palm kernel oil to China in April, with exports at 10,140 tonnes compared to 800 tonnes the previous month.
The smallest decline was seen in palm oil exports to the European Union (EU), with shipments at 99,375 tonnes, down from 99,598 tonnes in March.
An increase in exports of palm oil mill effluent (POME) at 59,300 tonnes (up by 24,610 tonnes from March) helped to offset declines in several other products, including palm fatty acid distillate (PFAD) which fell by 12,210 tonnes to 14,990 tonnes.
Malaysia’s exports of CPO to the EU also fell by 2,500 tonnes to 3,000 tonnes.
There were no Malaysian palm oil exports to Turkey in the first half of April, compared to 30,900 tonnes in the same period of the previous month, while shipments to the Asia Oceania region also fell to 129,645 tonnes, a drop of 37,105 tonnes. The largest drop was seen in exports to South Korea, from 13,900 tonnes to 6,700 tonnes.
Shipments to the Americas also fell to 25,638 tonnes, down from 47,125 tonnes the previous month.
Sources told Fastmarkets that the monthly decline in Malaysia’s April exports could continue, with demand for palm oil impacted by recent spikes in prices due to the ongoing Middle East conflict.
In addition, freight rates had risen due to higher fuel costs, following a jump in crude oil prices, leading to an increase in landed costs of palm oil to destination markets, with freight movement to the Middle East also slowing, Fastmarkets wrote.
Palm oil output in Malaysia was expected to rise in April from March as production exited the seasonally lower period in the first quarter of the year, the report said.
This could limit the drawdown in stock levels in Malaysia, with inventories at the end of March reported at 2.267M tonnes, down by 16% from the previous month but 45% higher compared to year-on-year levels, Fastmarkets wrote.