Italy is the largest importer
EU Member States imported significantly less palm oil in the 2023/2024 season than in the previous year. According to the Union for the Promotion of Oil and Protein Crops (UFOP), approx. 3.3 million tons were imported, i.e. approx. tons, i.e. by 19%. less than in the previous year.
As UFOP reported, citing data from Agrarmarkt Informations-Gesellschaft (AMI), Italy was the most important recipient of palm oil among the EU-27 with an import volume of 1.2 million tons; It was reduced by about 40%. more than in the 2022/2023 season. In second place is the Netherlands with 979,300 tonnes. However, last year's volume of 1.2 million tonnes was exceeded by 19%.
Spain with a huge drop
According to the financing union, when it comes to imports from the Netherlands, it should be noted that ports such as Rotterdam and Amsterdam are central hubs for foreign imports and are considered entry points into the EU, from where palm oil is supplied to other EU member states. The Netherlands is also an important location for biofuel production.
The decline in palm oil imports in Spain was more significant in the 2023/2024 season. Tons were imported to this country by approximately 61%. less than in the previous year, with a volume of 484.8 thousand Belgium purchased 93.8 thousand. tons, which meant a decrease of about 7%. Germany also imported significantly less palm oil from abroad. The delivery volume of 257,500 tons was approximately 28 percent higher than in the previous year. lower than in the previous marketing year.
Downward trend in imports in Germany
The main reason for this is the reduced use of palm oil as a raw material for the production of biodiesel or hydrogenated vegetable oil (HVO), after Germany did not allow it to be counted towards the greenhouse gas (GHG) limit. However, according to the financing union, this counting ban will continue to be undermined by imports of biodiesel made from palm oil from China. These are likely to be goods that have been re-declared as biodiesel from waste oils. Palm oil biodiesel was previously imported from Indonesia at dumped prices.
In this context, UFOP also supports the European Commission's plan to impose anti-dumping duties on biodiesel from China. The problem affects approximately 50 manufacturers and dealers. At the same time, the Financing Union insists on addressing the causes and to this end abolishing the double counting of biodiesel, HVO and Co-HVO from waste oils in line with the Renewable Energy Directive (RED). According to UFOP, the problem was partly due to the approval of the relevant categories of waste by the relevant national authorities.
