Indonesian Palm Oil Exports Reach 18-Month High in December

04-Feb-2026 04:21 PM

Jakarta. Thanks to tariff reductions and increased competitiveness, Indonesia's total exports of palm products surged in December, reaching their highest level in the past 18 months.

According to a report by Intertek Testing Services (ITS), a leading cargo surveyor firm, Indonesia exported approximately 1.73 million tons of palm oil products in November 2025, which increased by 52 percent, or 896,000 tons, to 2.62 million tons in December. This included shipments of palm oil and its derivatives, palm kernel oil, and oleochemicals.

Strong demand from India and other countries in the Indian subcontinent fueled the significant increase in Indonesian palm oil exports in December.

This led to a substantial rise in shipments of crude palm oil (CPO) and RBD palm olein in particular. It is worth noting that Indonesia is the world's largest producer and exporter of palm oil.

According to ITS, despite the strong increase in December, the overall exports of palm oil products from Indonesia in 2025 showed only a modest increase compared to 2024.

While shipments of RBD palm olein and processed palm fatty acids saw a good increase, exports of other palm products remained around the previous year's levels, with only minor fluctuations.

Compared to November, exports of palm oil products from Indonesia to India and other countries in the Indian subcontinent more than doubled in December 2025, rising from 398,000 tons to 816,000 tons.

Almost half of this was exported to India alone, amounting to approximately 422,000 tons. This included 346,000 tons of crude palm oil and 45,000 tons of RBD palm olein.