Soft commodities · PO

Palm oil price

Palm oil currently trades at US$4,486 per tonne (≈ €3,815 · £3,343) — close to the 12-month high. Over the past 12 months it has gained 17.22%, with the annual range running from US$3,804 to US$4,921. 24-hour movement is minimal (±0.00%).

US$4,486 / tonne
≈ €3,815 ≈ £3,343 Unchanged 24h 61% within the 52-week range
FX Editorial Team · Data updated: · Editorially verified
Palm oil (PO) price today US$4,486 / tonne, ↑ +0.00% (24h)

Palm oil chart

Interactive chart and 30-day overview

7 days
▲ +1.49%
+US$66.00
30 days
▼ −3.01%
−US$139.00
1 year
▲ +17.22%
+US$659.00
52-week range
US$3,804 61% US$4,921
Palm oil (PO) 30-day price chart — USD, EUR, GBP

The Palm oil chart shows how the palm oil price has moved over time. The interactive view lets you switch the timeframe (from 7 days up to MAX), the currency (USD / EUR / GBP) and overlay moving averages. Click any two points to measure the percentage change between those dates.

How is palm oil priced?

Palm oil is priced per metric tonne (1 t = 1,000 kg) — the standard unit for industrial and bulk commodities on the London Metal Exchange (LME), CME and major European exchanges. Wholesale shipments move in containers or bulk vessels, typically in 25-tonne or 100-tonne lots.

At US$4,486 per tonne, one kilogram is worth US$4.49. End-user pricing for processed goods includes refining margins, transport and tariffs on top of the wholesale benchmark.

What drives the price of palm oil?

The main structural force in the palm oil market is Indonesian state export policy. Indonesia accounts for ~58% of global palm oil production, at about ~47 million tonnes a year, and the government actively regulates how much stays in the domestic market and how much is exported. The most important tool is the Indonesian biodiesel mandate: the compulsory blending of palm oil-based biodiesel into domestic diesel absorbs roughly 13 million tonnes of palm oil a year. Indonesia also uses the DMO (Domestic Market Obligation) and DPO (Domestic Price Obligation) from time to time. In one earlier episode, the government imposed a full export ban for several weeks to curb domestic cooking-oil prices, immediately disrupting FCPO prices. Market participants track data from GAPKI (Gabungan Pengusaha Kelapa Sawit Indonesia, the Indonesian Palm Oil Association) and Indonesian finance ministry export releases.

On the demand side, the key variable is Indian and Chinese cooking-oil demand. India is the world’s largest palm oil importer, at about ~8 million tonnes a year. Palm oil supplies much of its domestic cooking-oil consumption and is a major input for processed foods such as instant noodles, biscuits and snacks. India’s monthly import data are published by the Solvent Extractors' Association of India (SEA). China is the second-largest buyer, at about ~7 Mt a year, with demand concentrated in processed foods and oleochemicals. Together, the two countries absorb a large share of global palm oil exports, so changes in Indian import duties or weaker Chinese demand are quickly reflected in FCPO prices. Relative prices for competing vegetable oils — soybean, sunflower and rapeseed oil — also matter. When palm oil trades at a premium, buyers switch to substitutes and the spread widens.

The third structural factor is EU sustainability regulation, which adds compliance costs to the palm oil market. The RED III renewable energy directive gradually removes palm oil from EU biofuel-renewable accounting, citing deforestation and high ILUC risk (indirect land use change). The EUDR (EU Deforestation Regulation) requires geolocation traceability and deforestation-free proof for every palm oil cargo entering the EU market. Suppliers must show that the producing plantation was not established through deforestation after the cut-off date set by the regulation. A fourth factor is the Malaysian and Indonesian harvest cycle. Oil-palm fruit maturity depends on El Niño / La Niña cycles, rainfall and fertiliser intensity. Monthly production, inventory and export reports from the MPOB (Malaysian Palm Oil Board), together with global supply estimates from Oil World, are among the market’s most important data points.

How to invest in palm oil

Holding physical palm oil is not practical for retail investors. It is an industrial commodity that requires climate-controlled storage and a B2B logistics chain. A European retail investor has three main routes to palm oil exposure: palm oil CFDs that track the Bursa Malaysia FCPO price directly, listed on some platforms under the PALM or FCPO ticker; individual plantation-owner shares, such as Malaysia’s Sime Darby Plantation — SDPL.KL and IOI Corporation — IOI.KL, Singapore-listed Wilmar International — F34.SI and Golden Agri-Resources — E5H.SI; and exposure through the processing and trading chain, with Wilmar as an integrated crusher, refiner and trader. Examples of regulated brokers that may offer these instruments include:

30-day price history

Chart and daily closing prices

Palm oil (PO) 30-day price chart — USD, EUR, GBP

Daily close

30 trading days

Date Price (USD) Price (EUR) Price (GBP) Daily change
22 May 2026 US$4,486 €3,815 £3,343 ▲ +0.63%
21 May 2026 US$4,458 €3,791 £3,323 ▼ −2.73%
20 May 2026 US$4,583 €3,898 £3,416 ▼ −0.04%
19 May 2026 US$4,585 €3,899 £3,417 ▲ +1.39%
18 May 2026 US$4,522 €3,846 £3,370 ▲ +2.31%
15 May 2026 US$4,420 €3,759 £3,294 ▲ +0.61%
14 May 2026 US$4,393 €3,736 £3,274 ▼ −1.01%
13 May 2026 US$4,438 €3,774 £3,308 ▼ −0.96%
12 May 2026 US$4,481 €3,811 £3,340 ▼ −0.78%
11 May 2026 US$4,516 €3,841 £3,366 ▼ −0.55%
10 May 2026 US$4,541 €3,862 £3,384 ▼ −0.83%
6 May 2026 US$4,579 €3,894 £3,413 ▼ −2.78%
5 May 2026 US$4,710 €4,006 £3,510 ▲ +1.90%
4 May 2026 US$4,622 €3,931 £3,445 ▲ +1.14%
30 Apr 2026 US$4,570 €3,887 £3,406 ▲ +0.75%
29 Apr 2026 US$4,536 €3,858 £3,381 ▲ +0.04%
27 Apr 2026 US$4,534 €3,856 £3,379 ▼ −1.37%
25 Apr 2026 US$4,597 €3,910 £3,426 ▼ −0.61%
22 Apr 2026 US$4,625 €3,933 £3,447 ▲ +1.05%
21 Apr 2026 US$4,577 €3,893 £3,411 ▲ +2.85%
20 Apr 2026 US$4,450 €3,785 £3,317 —

Palm oil: frequently asked questions

Why is Bursa Malaysia FCPO the global benchmark for palm oil? +
The Bursa Malaysia Derivatives FCPO contract is the primary price benchmark for the global palm oil market because Malaysia was historically the world’s leading palm oil exporter and the Kuala Lumpur exchange developed the earliest and most liquid futures market for the commodity. The contract is quoted in MYR / tonne (Malaysian ringgit per tonne), with a contract size of 25 tonnes. Although Indonesia is now the larger producer than Malaysia (~58% versus ~24%), and Indonesia has its own palm oil exchange, the Indonesia Commodity and Derivatives Exchange (ICDX), global traders and refiners still use the FCPO price as the reference for pricing physical cargoes. International shipments are settled in US dollars, with the MYR quote converted at the daily exchange rate.
Why do Indonesia and Malaysia account for 85% of global production? +
Palm oil production depends on the Elaeis guineensis oil-palm tree, a species suited to the equatorial tropics. It needs high and stable rainfall of about ~2,000 mm a year, constant warmth of 24–28 °C and nutrient-rich soil. Indonesia, especially Sumatra and Borneo, and Malaysia, including Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak, offer these conditions. Palm oil yields about ~3.5–4 tonnes of oil per hectare, several times more than most other vegetable oils, such as sunflower at ~0.7 t/ha and soybean at ~0.4 t/ha. Indonesia produces about ~47 Mt a year, or ~58% of global output. Malaysia adds about ~19 Mt, or another ~24%. Together they account for ~82–85%. Market data are tracked in monthly reports from the MPOB and GAPKI.
How much does a litre of crude palm oil cost on the global market? +
The Bursa Malaysia FCPO price is quoted in MYR / tonne. It can be converted into US dollars and litres using the price per tonne, the MYR/USD exchange rate and a density of about ~0.92 g/cm³. The benchmark refers to crude, unrefined palm oil (Crude Palm Oil — CPO) at wholesale level. Refined, bleached and deodorised (RBD — Refined Bleached Deodorized) palm oil trades at a premium. In retail markets, palm oil is less often sold directly as cooking oil in Europe, but it is widely used as an input in processed foods such as margarine, biscuits, chocolate and instant noodles, as well as cosmetics and detergents. Its wholesale price is one of several factors that influence the consumer prices of those products.
What is the Indonesian biodiesel mandate? +
The Indonesian biodiesel mandate is a state rule requiring domestic diesel fuel to be blended with palm oil-based biodiesel (FAME — Fatty Acid Methyl Ester). The policy is designed to absorb part of Indonesia’s large palm oil output at home and reduce diesel imports. The programme uses roughly 13 million tonnes of palm oil a year for domestic consumption, directly reducing the volume available for export. Any increase in the mandate can lock up more supply domestically. The programme tends to support FCPO prices because it tightens global supply. It also reduces Indonesia’s need for crude-oil imports and supports revenue for domestic plantation operators.
How do RED III and the EUDR affect the palm oil market? +
The EU is tightening palm oil use through two regulatory packages. RED III (Renewable Energy Directive III) gradually removes palm oil from EU biofuel-renewable accounting because of ILUC risk, or indirect land use change that may involve deforestation. This directly reduces EU demand for palm oil biodiesel. The EUDR (EU Deforestation Regulation) requires geolocation traceability and deforestation-free proof for every palm oil cargo entering the EU market. Suppliers must show that the producing plantation was not established as a result of deforestation. Both rules increase the premium for certified sustainable palm oil (RSPO — Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil) and may affect the relative role of other vegetable oils, such as rapeseed and sunflower oil, in the EU market.
Why is palm oil the world’s most consumed vegetable oil by volume? +
Global palm oil production is about ~80 Mt a year, ahead of soybean oil (~60 Mt), rapeseed oil (~30 Mt) and sunflower oil (~22 Mt). The main reason is yield per hectare: oil palm produces about ~3.5–4 tonnes of oil per hectare, several times more than most other vegetable oils, such as sunflower at ~0.7 t/ha and soybean at ~0.4 t/ha. That makes palm oil the cheapest large-scale vegetable oil to produce. It explains its role in Asian and African cooking-oil consumption, which accounts for about ~70% of use, as well as in the global processed-food industry, including margarine, biscuits, chocolate and instant noodles, and in soap and detergent production through oleochemicals and fatty acids. Global palm oil use statistics are tracked by Oil World and USDA WASDE Oilseeds.
Who are the largest palm oil importers? +
The two largest importers are India, at about ~8 million tonnes a year, and China, at about ~7 Mt. Together they absorb a large share of global palm oil exports. India uses palm oil for much of its domestic cooking-oil consumption and as an input for processed foods. Its monthly import data are published by the Solvent Extractors' Association of India (SEA). China’s demand is concentrated in processed foods and oleochemicals. Other major buyers include the EU (~4 Mt, mainly food industry and declining biofuel use), Pakistan (~3 Mt), Bangladesh and a range of African countries. India’s import-duty level and shifts in Chinese demand are among the main short-term drivers of FCPO prices. Tariff changes in India or updated Chinese import estimates are quickly reflected in the market.
How can a European retail investor access the palm oil market? +
There are three main routes for a European retail investor. First, a palm oil CFD that directly tracks the Bursa Malaysia FCPO price, listed on some platforms under the PALM or FCPO ticker. This is a leveraged product that can be traded long or short. Second, plantation-owner shares, including Malaysia’s Sime Darby Plantation (SDPL.KL) and IOI Corporation (IOI.KL), and Singapore-listed Wilmar International (F34.SI) and Golden Agri-Resources (E5H.SI). Third, broader agricultural ETFs such as DBA and MOO, which provide diversified vegetable-oil and agribusiness exposure. Tax treatment varies by jurisdiction; consult a local tax adviser.

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Data sources: Bursa Malaysia Derivatives — Crude Palm Oil Futures (FCPO) · Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) · GAPKI — Indonesian Palm Oil Association · Oil World — Global Oilseeds, Oils & Meals