Decline in EU rapeseed imports despite smaller harvest

The EU imported notably less rapeseed in the first quarter of the current season compared with the same period of 2025.
Ukraine remained the main supplier, although volumes were noticeably smaller due to logistical bottlenecks.
At approximately 871,500 tonnes, rapeseed imports in the first quarter of 2026 were 14 per cent below those in the same period the previous year.
As in previous years, Ukraine remained the most important supplier. According to research by Agrarmarkt Informations-Gesellschaft, the Ukrainian harvest exceeded the previous year's output.
Nevertheless, at 336,000 tonnes, imports remained below the 599,900 tonnes recorded from July through September 2025. Ukraine's limited export logistics continued to have a negative effect, especially on shipping. Alternative transport routes by rail are therefore increasingly gaining importance.
Australia is the EU's second most important rapeseed supplier, delivering 185,100 tonnes and accounting for 21 per cent of EU rapeseed imports.
This translates to an increase of 35 per cent compared with the same period a year earlier. Canada ranks third, supplying 121,700 tonnes.
This means that deliveries from Canada increased sharply compared with the same period in the previous year, as in 2025 imports from Canada were still around zero.
The Union for the Promotion of Oil and Protein Crops (UFOP) mainly attributes this development to logistical bottlenecks in Ukraine, the trade dispute with China and the dramatic increase in freight rates for imports from Australia.
The association has pointed out that the use of Canadian rapeseed in the EU is subject to restriction because of its genetically modified varieties.
This makes the biofuels market by far the most important trade channel for Canadian rapeseed oil. Against this background, the Canadian agricultural sector is becoming more closely bound by EU certification regulations.