Less palm oil imported into the UK and EU-27

The EU-27 and the UK imported around 5.5 million tonnes of palm oil between July 2019 and the end of June – a drop of around 0.7 million tonnes or 11% year-on-year.
The Netherlands (1.61 million tonnes), Spain (1.52 million tonnes) and Italy (1.35 million tonnes) remained the largest importers. Germany only imported around 0.2 million tonnes.
According to EU Commission statistics, the Netherlands remained the largest EU palm oil importer within the EU, but the country is also a palm oil exporter to other member states.
According to the Agrarmarkt Informations-Gesellschaft, Germany imported about 0.245 million tonnes from the Netherlands – the hub for onward exports – from July 2019 to April 2020.
Spain imported the second largest amount of palm oil to the EU, despite a 16 % decline compared to 2018/19.
By contrast, Italy raised its palm oil imports 13%. The 38% growth in palm oil imports to France, to 0.234 million tonnes, is especially noteworthy.
The Union zur Förderung von Oel- und Proteinpflanzen (UFOP) has welcomed the general decrease in palm oil imports.
The association attributes this trend mainly to the decline in using palm oil in biodiesel fuel and hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) production.
According to UFOP, the pace of the decline is going to depend on each member state's level of ambition to end the use of palm oil.