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Key takeaways:
The most active June CPO futures contract on the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives gained 1.22% to close at 4,642 ringgit ($1,166) per tonne, with the contract trading between 4,553-4,648 ringgit per tonne and extending gains in the afternoon session after reaching an intra-session high in the morning at 4,632 ringgit per tonne.
Most contract months also gained 50-70 ringgit, with market participants also positioning ahead of Friday’s supply and demand March data release from the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB).
CPO was tracking a recovery in crude oil which rebounded following concerns over the fragility of the US-Iran ceasefire, while CME soybean oil futures was also trading higher during Asia hours.
Softer Chinese veg oil futures also capped gains for CPO, with the most active September palm olein futures contract on the Dalian Commodity Exchange down by 0.52% to 9,550 yuan ($1,397) per tonne, while the September soybean oil futures contract also fell by 0.68% to 8,496 yuan per tonne.
The May rapeseed oil futures contract on the Zhengzhou Commodity Exchange also slipped 0.98% to close at 9,494 yuan per tonne.
Preliminary estimates for Malaysia’s palm oil exports during April 1-10 were reported at 39.29% lower from the same period in March at 377,875 tonnes according to cargo surveyor Intertek Testing Services (ITS), with finalized figures expected on Friday alongside MPOB’s March data release, where stocks are expected to show a steeper decline following a firm increase in exports and modest production recovery.
In the cash market, offers for April-shipment CPO out of Indonesia were at $1,250 per tonne FOB Indonesia, with buying ideas around $1,220-1,225 per tonne FOB Indonesia, while olein offers for the same month were at $1,177.50 per tonne FOB Indonesia against buying ideas of around $1,160 per tonne FOB Indonesia.
CPO trades to India were also concluded at $1,267.50 per tonne CFR west coast India (WCI) and around $1,255-1,260 per tonne CFR east coast India (ECI), both for April, with reports of trades to ECI concluded at higher levels of around $1,265 per tonne CFR ECI although this could not be confirmed.
Discussions for April-shipment CPO were around $1,265-1,270 per tonne CFR WCI and $1,262.50-1,270 per tonne CFR ECI at the day’s close, while indicative offers for May shipment were at $1,280 per tonne CFR WCI and $1,290 per tonne CFR WCI for June.
Meanwhile, offers for May-shipment soybean oil were at $1,366-1,368 per tonne CFR WCI earlier in the day, with higher offers also heard in the evening at $1,390 per tonne CFR WCI, while buying interest continues to be sluggish although local trading was slightly more active compared to the previous day.
Offers for June-July shipment soybean oil were around $1,330-1,350 per tonne WCI, and $1,322-1,324 per tonne CFR WCI for August-September.
Offers for Argentine sunflower oil for May and June shipment to India were indicated at $1,420-1,430 per tonne CIF landed weight (LW), while offers for Black Sea-origin sunflower oil were around $1,450 per tonne for the same period, though discussions were overall quieter day on day.
In the Americas, Chicago Mercantile Exchange soybean oil futures traded slightly higher on Thursday, but well below the highest levels of the day, still obtaining support from crude oil gains.
The most-active May CME soybean oil contract rose by 0.24% day on day to 67.58 cents per lb at 1pm US Eastern time.
Brent and West Texas Intermediate futures were up by 2% and 4% respectively day on day, but the price hike was also well below the intraday highs over doubts about the two-week cease-fire between the US and Iran. When crude prices lost momentum during the session they dragged soyoil futures down along.
In its Monthly World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report released on Thursday, the USDA increased its projections for US soyoil production but maintained its estimate for biofuel usage.
The USDA estimated US soyoil production at 30.33 billion lb, up from the 29.92 billion lb in the previous report. US biofuel usage was maintained at 14 billion lb, but there was an increase of 300 million lb in soyoil usage for food, feed and other purposes, to 15.35 billion lb. The US soyoil export projection remained unchanged at 1.2 billion lb.
On its weekly export sales report, the USDA reported soyoil reductions of 1,600 tonnes, compared with net sales of 1,100 tonnes in the week to March 26. The figure was within market expectations, which ranged from sales reductions of 10,000 tonnes to net increases of as much as 12,000 tonnes. Weekly US soybean oil exports continued to fall, sinking by 77% on the week.
Meanwhile, CME soymeal futures traded higher despite falling grains prices.
The CME May soymeal contract rose by 1.02% day on day to $317.30 per short ton at 1pm US Eastern time.
The USDA revised up its estimates for US soymeal production in 2025/26 to 61.88 million short tons in April, up from the 61.08 million short tons expected in the previous month. US domestic demand was revised up to 43.23 million tons from 42.43 million tons in the previous report. US soymeal exports were unchanged at 19.4 million short tons.
The revision in both soymeal and soyoil production estimates was a result of the USDA revising up its US domestic soybean crush projections to 2.61 billion bushels, from 2.58 billion bushels, “on increased soybean meal domestic use.”
For South America, the USDA maintained Argentina’s production and export estimates for soyoil and soymeal in 2025/26 but raised Brazil’s production estimates for both products. In the case of Brazil, the USDA maintained export projections for soymeal and soyoil but raised perspectives for domestic consumption.
US weekly soybean meal sales were down, while exports continued to increase in the week to April 2. 2025/26 net soybean meal sales were down by almost 4% on the week to 363,600 tonnes. Sales were within market projections, which spanned from 225,000 tonnes to 450,000 tonnes. Weekly US soybean meal exports were up by 14% week on week.
In the phsyical market in South America, soyoil bases moved downward, compensating for slight CME soyoil gains. The May basis was assessed at a discount of 13 cents per lb in Argentina and 12.25 cents per lb in Brazil, both to May futures.
On the soymeal front, Fastmarkets heard paper trades of Brazilian soymeal for June loading at a discount of $3 per short ton to July futures and for August and September loading at a discount of $4 per short ton to August and September futures.
The May basis was assessed at premiums of $5.00 per short ton to May futures in Brazil and $6.50 per short ton to the same futures contract in Argentina.
As of 5:40pm Central European Time, Euronext May rapeseed futures were trading at €500.75 ($585) per tonne, up by €3.75 per tonne from the last market close.
FOB Rotterdam rapeseed oil (RSO) prices rose along the curve on Thursday, supported by bullish momentum across related global vegetable oil markets.
European rapeseed futures in Paris and Canadian canola futures on the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) were higher at the time of writing, providing support to RSO.
Palm oil prices in Malaysia and US soybean oil prices were also firmer, underpinned by a fresh uptick in crude oil prices amid renewed concerns over the absence of a long‑term ceasefire in the Middle East between the US and Iran.
For May, RSO offers were heard at €1,120 per tonne, with bids at €1,089 per tonne, compared with offers ranged €1,099-1,120 per tonne and bids heard at €1,080-1,085 per tonne on Wednesday.
As for the May-June-July (MJJ) strip, offers were reported at €1,100-1,110 per tonne, with buy-side ideas around €1,088 per tonne, compared with offers at €1,096-1,115 per tonne and bids at €1,080-1,085 per tonne on Wednesday.
Down the curve, August-September-October (ASO) offers were indicated at €1,095 per tonne, with buy-side interest reported at €1,078 per tonne, compared with offers at €1,089-1,100 per tonne and bids at €1,075-1,081 per tonne on Wednesday.
Prices for FOB sunflower oil (SFO) across six EU ports rose marginally on Thursday despite an overall quiet market tone, supported by fresh gains in crude and gasoil prices, which firmed on renewed concerns over the absence of a long‑term ceasefire between the US and Iran.
For May-June (MJ), offers were heard at $1,470-1,475 per tonne, with bids at $1,450-1,460 per tonne, compared with offers at $1,470 per tonne and bids at $1,452.5 per tonne on Wednesday.
As for July-August-September (JAS), offers stood at $1,475 per tonne, while buy-side interest was indicated at $1,450-1,460 per tonne, compared with offers at $1,475 per tonne and bids also at $1,452.50 per tonne on Wednesday.
Down the curve, October-November-December (OND) offers were reported at $1,317.50-1,330 per tonne, while bids stood at $1,300 per tonne, compared with offers at $1,315 per tonne and buy-side ideas of $1,300 per tonne on Wednesday.
The sunflower oil market on a CPT Pivdennyi-Odesa-Chornomorsk (POC) basis was quiet and unchanged ahead of Orthodox Easter.
On a CIF Mersin basis, indicative demand for sunflower oil was heard around $1,386.50 per tonne.
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