16/08/2011 (Reuters) - Malaysian palm oil climbed for a fourth straight session on Monday, boosted by strong export data and as financial market jitters eased slightly after last week's volatility.

The benchmark October contract KPOc3 on the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Exchange ended up 1.8 percent at 3,070 Malaysian ringgit ($1,023) per tonne. Earlier, prices touched 3,083 ringgit, the highest level since Aug. 4.  
   
Traded volumes for the contract were  9,786 lots of 25 tonnes each, compared to 9,934 lots on Friday.

"The market is very strong on the back of good export data," said a Kula-Lumpar based trader. "Also on external factors, with soybean and Dalian up and palm oil following." 

Exports of Malaysian palm oil products for August 1-15 rose 27 percent to 953,852 tonnes from 752,047 tonnes shipped during July 1-15, cargo surveyor Intertek Testing Services said.
  
Malaysia is the world's number two producer of palm oil -- used in products such as food, cosmetics, tyres and biofuels -- after Indonesia. 

In comparable markets, U.S. soybeans for November delivery rose, while the most active May 2012 soyoil on China's Dalian Commodity Exchange also climbed higher. 

Last week, benchmark palm oil prices slipped below the psychological 3,000 ringgit level, on worries that the unfolding U.S. and euro zone debt crisis will stall global economic growth and cloud the commodity demand outlook. 

On Monday, however, U.S. crude rose after data from the United States and Japan helped ease worries over a looming recession, encouraging investors back into riskier assets.  
   
U.S. retail sales posted their biggest gains in three months in July, although this was partly overshadowed by a slump in consumer confidence, a report on Friday showed.  
   
"It is down to good export numbers and anticipation of lower crop for the month of August," said a second Kuala Lumpur based palm oil trader.  
  
"Also, there is more positive (economic) sentiment -- we are begining to see more sunlight." 
    
  Palm, soy and crude oil prices at 1020 GMT
                                                                    
  Contract        Month    Last   Change     Low    High  Volume
                                  
  M'ASIA PALM OIL  NOV1    3036    +0.00    3000    3047    5864
  DALIAN SOY OIL   MAY2   10052   +40.00   10032   10084  331024
  CBOT SOY OIL     DEC1   55.16    +0.51   54.87   55.30    1206
  NYMEX CRUDE      SEP1   84.64    -0.74   84.40   85.82   21664
                                                                    
  Palm oil prices in Malaysian ringgit per tonne
  CBOT soy oil in U.S. cents per pound
  Dalian soy oil in Chinese yuan per tonne
  Crude in U.S. dollars per barrel
  ($1 = 3.000 ringgits)