Ukraine sunflower oil exports: Broadly stable month on month in December; YTD down 19%

Ukraine exported 420,200 tonnes of sunflower oil in December 2025, up 3% from 409,300 tonnes in November, according to preliminary customs-based data compiled by the Ukroliyaprom Association.

Key takeaways:

  • Ukraine exported 420,200 tonnes of sunflower oil in December 2025, an 11% increase year-on-year, though cumulative season exports remain at a decade low
  • Sunflower meal shipments rose 5% in December, with China dominating as the top destination, importing over 303,000 tonnes
  • Soybean meal exports nearly doubled for the September-December period compared to the previous season, totaling 555,000 tonnes

December’s volume was 11% above the 378,800 tonnes recorded in same month a year earlier, but 24% below the five-year monthly average of 672,000 tonnes.

Cumulative sunflower oil exports for the September-December period of the 2025/26 marketing year reached 1.37 million tonnes, compared with 1.71 million tonnes during the corresponding period of 2024/25, representing a 19% year-on-year decline.

The cumulative volume is the lowest for this reporting date in at least ten years and stands some 51% below the five-year September-December average of around 2.77 million tonnes, highlighting an unusually slow start to this marketing year.

India remained the largest destination for Ukrainian sunflower oil in December, importing 88,990 tonnes. The monthly volume was 17.6% lower than November, when shipments stood around 108,000 tonnes. Cumulative exports to India reached 240,000 tonnes, 29% lower than the 336,000 tonnes recorded at the same point last season.

Egypt followed with 63,785 tonnes, compared with almost negligible volumes in November, marking its highest monthly import level since April 2020.

Spain received 57,529 tonnes, while the Netherlands and Italy imported 34,296 tonnes and 32,553 tonnes respectively. Turkey took 18,168 tonnes and France 17,871 tonnes. Additional volumes were delivered to Lebanon (14,793 tonnes), Saudi Arabia (12,529 tonnes) and the UK (8,114 tonnes).

Sunflower meal exports increased to 438,100 tonnes in December, up 5% from 419,000 tonnes in November. Shipments were 5% higher compared with the 416,800 tonnes exported in December 2024, but remained 5% below the five-year December average of 466,000 tonnes.

Cumulative sunflower meal exports for the September-December period totaled 1.27 million tonnes, compared with 1.25 million tonnes in the corresponding period of the previous season.

China remained the dominant destination for Ukrainian sunflower meal in December, importing 303,819 tonnes, a 43% increase compared with around 213,000 tonnes in November. This raised cumulative shipments to China for the season to 797,000 tonnes, the highest level in at least three seasons and more than double the 316,000 tonnes recorded during the corresponding period last year.

Poland ranked second with 35,702 tonnes, followed by Turkey with 31,082 tonnes. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) received 13,608 tonnes, while Lithuania and Egypt imported 12,484 tonnes and 11,785 tonnes respectively.

Soy and derivatives

Ukrainian exports of soybeans reached 348,900 tonnes in December, slightly higher than 336,800 tonnes in November, but 3% lower than the 359,600 tonnes exported in December 2024. The volume was also 14% below the five-year December average of 1.135 million tonnes.

Cumulative soybean exports for September-December amounted to 998,500 tonnes, down by 42.7% compared with 1.74 million tonnes during the corresponding period of the previous season.

Turkey remained the leading destination for Ukrainian soybeans in December, importing 110,858 tonnes. The Netherlands followed with 56,610 tonnes, while France and Germany received 33,301 tonnes and 21,990 tonnes respectively. Italy imported 19,463 tonnes and shipments to the UAE totaled 18,247 tonnes. Additional volumes were delivered to Ivory Coast (17,991 tonnes), Greece (14,487 tonnes) and Lebanon (11,468 tonnes).

Soybean oil exports rose to 50,600 tonnes in December, up from 39,800 tonnes in November and 50% higher than the 33,700 tonnes shipped in December 2024.

Cumulative soybean oil exports for September-December 2025/26 reached 176,000 tonnes, compared with 142,700 tonnes during the corresponding period of the previous season, an increase of 23.3%.

Soybean meal exports reached 163,300 tonnes in December, compared with 157,600 tonnes in November and 102,300 tonnes a year earlier.

Cumulative soybean meal exports for September-December totaled 555,000 tonnes, nearly double the 282,400 tonnes shipped during the corresponding period of the previous marketing year.

Rapeseed and derivatives

Rapeseed exports totaled 160,100 tonnes in December, broadly in line with 157,600 tonnes in November but 25% lower than the 213,300 tonnes exported in December 2024.

Cumulative rapeseed exports for July-December reached 1.38 million tonnes, compared with 2.80 million tonnes a year earlier, representing a 50.7% decline amid reduced crop availability and increased domestic processing.

Germany became the largest destination for Ukrainian rapeseed in December, importing 92,420 tonnes, followed by the UK with 47,775 tonnes.

Rapeseed oil exports amounted to 42,100 tonnes in December, down from 67,700 tonnes in November, but sharply higher than the 7,600 tonnes shipped in December 2024. Season-to-date rapeseed oil exports for September-December totaled 336,900 tonnes, 76.4% higher than in the previous season.

Fastmarkets Agriculture gives you the tools to easily visualize price, compare prices and see historical trends to correlate how market events impact price. Find out more about our agriculture prices here.

What to read next
How real-time pricing data and short-term forecasts help animal feed and pet food producers manage risk and protect margins
The proposed methodology update will reflect the following: AG-UCO-0015 Used cooking oil, flexi-tank, fob China, $/tonneQuality: Free fatty acids (FFA) max. 15%, moisture, impurities and unsaponifiable matter (MIU) max 2%, iodine value (IV) min. 80 g iodine/hg, sulfur content max. 50 ppmQuantity: Minimum 500 tonnesLocation: China, fobTiming: Shipment within 45 days following date of saleUnit: USD/tonnePublication: Daily, 4:30pm Singapore time AG-UCO-0014 […]
Master the US biofuel market with actionable strategies for 45Z compliance, overcoming feedstock scarcity, and optimizing your procurement processes.
Malaysia’s palm oil exports totaled 580,018 tonnes during April 1-15, down by 324,724 tonnes or 35.89% from 904,742 tonnes shipped during the same period a month ago, according to data from cargo surveyor Intertek Testing Services (ITS).
Soyoil futures surged on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange on Thursday April 16, supported by soaring crude oil prices, tight domestic soybean markets and no biomass-based biodiesel imports reported for March, while crude palm oil (CPO) futures help broadly unchanged in Malaysia.
Crude palm oil (CPO) futures in Malaysia rebounded from their three-day decline to close higher on Thursday, following short-covering activities and a modest recovery in crude oil and related oils after a sharp sell-off the previous day. The spike in crude prices also underpinned Chicago soy oil futures, although the market posed only modest gains.