According to the latest data, the volume of vegetable oil exports has fallen by approximately 21% this year.
From January to October 2025, Russian vegetable oil exports fell by 21% compared to the same period last year.
At the same time, in value terms, they even increased by 5% and currently amount to approximately $6 billion.
Thus, we see that the significant increase in vegetable oil prices has allowed exporters not only to maintain but even to increase revenue, despite the significant decline in shipment volumes.
First and foremost, the decline in shipment volumes affected sunflower oil. It is extremely important in the export structure, accounting for 65%, or the lion’s share.
The 29% decline in shipments of this oil in physical terms was the main negative development in this industry. At the same time, in monetary terms, export volumes also declined, reaching approximately $4 billion.
Soybean oil exports also declined significantly. From January to October 2025, they fell by 23%, to 520,000 tons.
The only commodity to show positive growth was rapeseed oil. Its export volume increased by 21%, reaching 1.22 million tons. In monetary terms, rapeseed oil exports increased by 39%, to $1.2 billion.
Therefore, it can be argued that the rapeseed oil market demonstrated a surge and largely drove overall oil exports.
Experts explain that exports are vital for the entire oil production industry, as up to 70% of all produced oil is ultimately shipped abroad.
The decline in volumes was largely due to the very same price increase, which reduced importers’ desire to purchase large quantities of oil. For example, Iran, Turkey, and India have temporarily suspended imports in anticipation of lower prices.
However, this has not yet been observed, while oil reserves in these countries are rapidly depleting. Consequently, it can be expected that these countries will resume their purchases soon.
Furthermore, Russian farmers grew less sunflower seeds and other raw materials in 2025 than in 2024, which inevitably led to a reduction in production and, consequently, exports.
This situation is well illustrated by the fact that carryover stocks are currently three times lower than in previous seasons.
Nevertheless, the oil market overall is showing progress, analysts note.
In particular, producers managed to process all the raw materials produced last year and fully meet the domestic needs of Russian citizens, while the remaining products are being sold profitably abroad.
