Edible oil · ranking
Which ten countries ship the most vegetable fats and oils, ranked by declared export value in UN Comtrade. Read the table for the numbers and this page for what they mean.
| # | Market | Value | Volume | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Indonesia | $26.9B | — | 2024 |
| 2 | Malaysia | $18.7B | — | 2024 |
| 3 | Spain | $8.9B | — | 2024 |
| 4 | Argentina | $7.2B | — | 2024 |
| 5 | Netherlands | $6.8B | — | 2024 |
| 6 | Ukraine | $5.8B | — | 2024 |
| 7 | Canada | $5.4B | — | 2024 |
| 8 | Italy | $4.7B | — | 2024 |
| 9 | China | $4.1B | — | 2024 |
| 10 | Germany | $3.6B | — | 2024 |
Ranking is for the whole of HS chapter 15 (animal or vegetable fats and oils), reporter-declared, latest year available per market. Source: UN Comtrade.
Indonesia is first at $26.9B and Malaysia second at $18.7B. Third-placed Spain, at $8.9B, is less than half of Indonesia’s figure, so the top of this ranking is a two-country story and the rest of the table plays for a distant third. The ten together make up 65.3% of the value reported by the 96 markets in the dataset.
The lower half is tight. Ukraine at $5.8B, Canada at $5.4B, Italy at $4.7B, China at $4.1B and Germany at $3.6B are separated by small steps. The gap from first to tenth is wide, but sixth ($5.8B) to tenth ($3.6B) is a much shorter climb.
HS chapter 15 covers all animal and vegetable fats and oils, and the headings in our facts include soya-bean, ground nut, olive, palm, sunflower, safflower, cotton-seed, rape, colza and mustard oil, plus a residual heading. A country’s total can therefore rest on a single product or on several, and the table cannot say which.
Several exporters may also be re-exporting. Refining, blending or bottling hubs declare oil they bought elsewhere, so a European or Asian entry with a mid-table value may say more about processing capacity and logistics than about local crops. Each row also uses that reporter’s latest year, so timing differences add noise.
If you buy oil, use the list to see which origins exist at scale, then narrow by heading: ask for the exact oil, grade and refining level, and compare offers on the same delivery term. If you sell, the list shows the competitors you will be measured against, and where a smaller supplier could fill a niche such as a specific oil type or pack size.
To move from country to company, search shipment records for the relevant chapter 15 heading and read exporter names, destinations and declared values. Confirm the current export and import requirements, quality specifications and labelling with the authorities on both sides before agreeing a contract.
Indonesia leads at $26.9B, followed by Malaysia at $18.7B. The figure covers all of HS chapter 15, so it includes several types of vegetable and animal fat and not one oil alone.
Moderately. The ten listed countries hold 65.3% of the value declared across the 96 markets we track. Most of the concentration sits in the top two, since third place is under half of first.
Not necessarily. Countries that refine, blend or bottle imported oil can declare large export values. The ranking measures shipments out, and it does not separate domestic production from re-exports.
Search customs shipment records for the oil heading you need in the origin country, and read the named exporters, destinations and quantities. Then request specifications and samples, and check current import rules in your own market.
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