EU palm-oil imports continue to decline

The downward trend in palm-oil imports into the EU-27 continues, as confirmed by the EU Commission’s import figures.

The decline is due to the exclusion of biofuels derived from palm oil from being credited towards national-quota obligations.

At the same time, imports of waste oils and fats for use in transport-fuel production are on the rise.

According to the EU Commission, the European Union imported nearly 958,000 metric tons of palm oil between July and early November 2025—a drop of roughly 20 percent compared to the same period in the previous year.

Malaysia remained the leading supplier, providing 272,000 tons and accounting for 28 percent of total imports.

This represents a slight increase in the country’s exports compared to the reference period.

Indonesia ranked second with 261,000 tons, marking a sharp decline.

On the recipient side, the Netherlands remained the leading hub for European palm-oil trading and a key location for biofuel production.

At 353,000 tons, the country absorbed roughly 12 percent more palm oil than in the same period the previous year.

Italy took second place among importing countries, receiving 303,000 tons, which represents a decrease of 8 percent.

Greece recorded the sharpest decline (minus 91 percent), followed by Sweden (minus 37 percent) and Denmark (minus 30 percent).

Germany imported 78,000 tons, down 13 percent year-on-year.

In contrast, Belgium and Spain slightly increased their import volumes.

According to research by Agrarmarkt Informations-Gesellschaft (AMI), these countries, along with the Netherlands, are among the few EU countries showing an upward import trend.

From the perspective of the Union zur Förderung von Oel- und Proteinpflanzen e. V. (UFOP), the continued decline in imports reflects the fundamentally critical public debate on palm oil.

In several EU member states, this has already led to the exclusion of biofuels derived from palm oil from counting towards quota obligations.

Such exclusions must be implemented across the entire EU by 2030, UFOP stated.

The figures also clearly show that there has been an increase in demand for imports of waste oils and fats used in biodiesel and renewable diesel production to compensate for the decline in palm-oil imports.

Depending on waste category, these imports can be counted double towards national-quota obligations.

According to UFOP, this double counting has created incentives to commit fraud and also generated virtual greenhouse-gas (GHG) reduction quotas that are not eligible for credit towards climate-mitigation targets in the transport sector.

Emphasizing that this “nonsense in climate policy” must be stopped as soon as possible, UFOP welcomed the planned abolition of double counting provided for in the draft bill to amend Germany’s GHG quota act.

The UFOP strongly criticized the fact that the draft bill was not adopted at Germany’s Nov. 14 federal cabinet meeting and that, as a result, the parliamentary legislative process has still not been initiated.

The association expects the federal chancellery to finally take action—not least to avoid charging proceedings by the European Commission, which could damage Germany’s reputation, UFOP stated.