Sunflower Oil Surges to June 2022 Highs

2026-03-05 14:32 By Felipe Alarcon 1 min. read

Sunflower oil futures surged to $1,580 per tonne, the highest since June 2022 as escalating geopolitical conflict and logistical surcharges in the Middle East offset the temporary relief from South American harvests.

Strikes on Ukrainian crushing plants and port facilities in the Black Sea have idled roughly 25% of the country's processing capacity, driving expectations of a $600 million export revenue loss this year.

The Russian Ministry of Agriculture further tightened the global market by increasing export duties on sunflower oil to 9,710.2 rubles per tonne for the month of March.

While Argentine shipments remain active and Bulgarian processors secured 400,000 tonnes of seed, the broader vegetable oil complex has found fresh support from a rally in crude oil prices that boosted biodiesel demand.

Importers in India now face additional costs as shipping giants like CMA CGM implement emergency conflict surcharges of up to $4,000 per container for routes navigating the Middle East.



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Sunflower Oil Surges to June 2022 Highs
Sunflower oil futures surged to $1,580 per tonne, the highest since June 2022 as escalating geopolitical conflict and logistical surcharges in the Middle East offset the temporary relief from South American harvests. Strikes on Ukrainian crushing plants and port facilities in the Black Sea have idled roughly 25% of the country's processing capacity, driving expectations of a $600 million export revenue loss this year. The Russian Ministry of Agriculture further tightened the global market by increasing export duties on sunflower oil to 9,710.2 rubles per tonne for the month of March. While Argentine shipments remain active and Bulgarian processors secured 400,000 tonnes of seed, the broader vegetable oil complex has found fresh support from a rally in crude oil prices that boosted biodiesel demand. Importers in India now face additional costs as shipping giants like CMA CGM implement emergency conflict surcharges of up to $4,000 per container for routes navigating the Middle East.
2026-03-05
Sunflower Oil Drops From Multi-Year Highs
Sunflower oil futures eased toward $1,515 per tonne, retreating from the over three year highs reached on February 6th as expanding South American supply and softer seasonal demand loosened the previously tight balance in global vegetable oils. Shipments from Argentina are accelerating, highlighted by Bulgarian processors securing roughly 400,000 tonnes of competitively priced sunflower seed for March arrival, while Brazil’s record soybean harvest has pushed local soybean oil offers down, broadening the pool of cheaper substitute oils. At the same time palm oil futures have slipped, preserving palm’s position as the lowest cost option for major buyers such as India and intensifying competition for market share. Demand has also cooled as Lunar New Year holidays curbed Asian buying and Malaysian palm exports in the first half of February fell by 11% to 15%, with the approaching Ramadan period likely to temper Middle Eastern imports further.
2026-02-19
Sunflower Oil Holds Near Mid-2022 Highs
Sunflower oil futures hovered near $1,540 per tonne, testing mid 2022 highs as persistent supply tightness from the Black Sea collided with steady global demand and few short term substitutes, leaving the market with little spare capacity. Prices have surged to levels last seen during the early war period after processing bottlenecks and attacks on Ukrainian crushing facilities curtailed export availability and drove regional FOB prices sharply higher. Intermittent Russian export restrictions and variable duties have further constrained flows, adding friction and reducing shipment reliability for buyers. While Argentina has increased crushing and doubled sunflower oil exports in January 2026, this additional supply has only partially eased the imbalance, as much of the output is absorbed by established trade routes and strong byproduct demand.
2026-02-10