Decline in Malaysian Palm Oil Exports in the First Half of April

06-May-2026 03:09 PM

Kuala Lumpur. Palm oil exports from Malaysia declined during the first fortnight of April 2026, as shipments to countries in West Asia, the Middle East, and the Gulf region were adversely affected. According to a report by Intertek Testing Services (ITS)—a leading private cargo surveyor firm—only 580,018 tonnes of palm oil products were shipped from Malaysia between April 1 and April 15, 2026.

This figure represents a decrease of 35.89 percent, or 324,724 tonnes, compared to the total exports of 904,742 tonnes recorded during the period of March 1 to March 15, 2026. These statistics encompass Crude Palm Oil (CPO), refined palm oil/palmolein, palm kernel oil, oleoresin, and palm oil waste (residues), but exclude Used Cooking Oil (UCO). This export performance is considered to be quite weak.

Following Indonesia, Malaysia stands as the world's second-largest producer and exporter of palm oil. During the first half of April, palm oil exports from the country declined across most regions; however, the sharpest decline was recorded in the Middle East. Exports to this region plummeted from 126,200 tonnes in March to a mere 11,550 tonnes in the first half of April.

While Malaysia exported 25,200 tonnes of palm oil to Egypt and 61,000 tonnes to Iran during the first half of March, no shipments could be dispatched to these destinations during the first half of April. Similarly, exports of Malaysian palm oil to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) slumped from 37,000 tonnes to just 3,000 tonnes during this period.

Conversely, however, during the first fortnight of April, Malaysia exported 2,250 tonnes of palm oil to Oman and 6,300 tonnes to Saudi Arabia—destinations to which no shipments had been made in March. Exports of Malaysian palm oil to the Indian subcontinent declined from 177,600 tonnes in March to 107,500 tonnes in April.

Shipments to India, which had reached 150,600 tonnes during March 1–15, contracted to just 102,300 tonnes during April 1–15. Exports to Pakistan remained suspended, whereas a shipment of 25,000 tonnes had taken place in March. During April 1–15, India imported 84,700 tonnes of crude palm oil from Malaysia—a figure significantly lower than the 143,300 tonnes imported during March 1–15.