German biodiesel exports in 1st half of 2024 hit record level

German biodiesel exports in the first six months of 2024 rose nearly 16 percent on the year-earlier period while imports increased as much as 24 percent.

Nevertheless, the export surplus grew to 0.76 million metric tons (previous year 0.72 million tons).

From the perspective of the Union zur Förderung von Oel- und Proteinpflanzen e. V. (UFOP), these exports are an extremely important outlet to ease the pressure on the rapeseed oil and biodiesel markets.

They keep the oil mills working at full capacity and secure market supply with rapeseed meal as a protein source.

UFOP has stated, however, that the excess of exports could also have been used to decarbonize the transport sector in Germany.

According to figures published by the German Federal Statistical Office, Germany exported around 1.7 million tons of biodiesel in the first half year of 2024.

On the other hand, imports amounted to 906,719 tons.

The Netherlands continued to be the primary trading partner, accounting for 47 percent and 52 percent of total exports and imports, respectively.

The import volume increased for the third consecutive year.

According to investigations conducted by Agrarmarkt Informations-Gesellschaft (mbH), larger supplies also came from Malaysia and Belgium, whereas imports from Poland, Finland and Austria fell short of the previous year’s volumes.

The main recipient countries of German biodiesel also were EU countries, headed by the Netherlands, Belgium, Poland, Austria and France.

The most important non-EU country was the U.S., although U.S. imports dropped around 46 percent to just under 131,000 tons in the first half year of 2024.