Overall, the estimated value of palm oil imports accelerated by 87.4% for all importing countries since 2018. Five years earlier, international purchases of palm oil cost $31.5 billion.
Year over year, globally imported palm oil increased by 14.7% compared to $51.4 billion during 2021.
An edible vegetable oil, palm oil is derived from the reddish pulp of oil palm plant fruit. Palm oil is a highly saturated vegetable fat used for lower-cost cooking, blending into mayonnaise and as a butter substitute. Palm oil is also an ingredient for biodiesel fuels.
The 5 biggest importers of palm oil are India, mainland China, Pakistan, United States of America, and the Netherlands. Collectively, that quintet of major palm oil buyers imported 44.1% of total palm oil purchased via international markets in 2022.
From a continental perspective, Asian countries imported the highest dollar worth of palm oil during 2022 with purchases valued at $35.2 billion or almost three-fifths (59.7%) of the global total. In second place were European importers at 19.8% while another 12.7% of palm oil imported worldwide was delivered to buyers in Africa.
Smaller percentages went to customers in North America (5.1%), Latin America (2.3%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, and Oceania (0.4%) led by Australia, Papua New Guinea and New Zealand.
For research purposes, the 4-digit Harmonized Tariff System code prefix is 1511 for palm oil and its refractions, whether or not refined.
Palm Oil Imports by Country
Below are the 15 countries that spent the most on imported palm oil during 2022.
- India: US$11.7 billion (19.9% of total imported palm oil)
- China: $5.8 billion (9.9%)
- Pakistan: $3.9 billion (6.5%)
- United States: $2.4 billion (4.1%)
- Netherlands: $2.1 billion (3.6%)
- Italy: $1.8 billion (3.1%)
- Bangladesh: $1.77 billion (3%)
- Malaysia: $1.46 billion (2.5%)
- Spain: $1.39 billion (2.3%)
- Philippines: $1.32 billion (2.2%)
- Russia: $1.27 billion (2.2%)
- Türkiye: $1.21 billion (2%)
- Germany: $1.17 billion (2%)
- Egypt: $1.13 billion (1.9%)
- Vietnam: $1.11 billion (1.9%)
By value, the listed 15 countries purchased 67.2% of all palm oil imported in 2022.
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing markets for palm oil since 2021 were: Philippines (up 121.1%), Germany (up 51.9%), Türkiye (up 51.1%) and the United States of America (up 35.9%).
A pair of major buyer countries posted declines in their imported palm oil purchases, namely Spain (down -9.3% from 2021) and mainland China (down -1.7%).
Palm Oil Imported into India
India’s global purchases of imported palm oil totaled US$11.7 billion in 2022. Below are the top 15 suppliers from which India imported the highest dollar value worth of palm oil during 2022. Within parenthesis is the percentage change in value for each supplying country from 2021 to 2022.
- Indonesia: US$5.6 billion (up 41.2% from 2021)
- Malaysia: $3.9 billion (down -5%)
- Thailand: $1.2 billion (up 108.9%)
- Singapore: $438.6 million (up 4.4%)
- Papua New Guinea: $417.6 million (up 72%)
- Nepal: $174 million (down -26.4%)
- Ivory Coast: $20.9 million (down -36.9%)
- Cambodia: $17.2 million (up 12.3%)
- Philippines: $13 million (up 91.3%)
- Liberia: $7.6 million (up 129.6%)
- Bangladesh: $2.5 million (down -56.5%)
- Sierra Leone: $683,000 (up 38%)
- Cameroon: $326,000 (2021 data unavailable)
- United Arab Emirates: $47,000 (2021 data unavailable)
- Ghana: $30,000 (2021 data unavailable)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 99.9999% of palm oil imported by India in 2022.
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing suppliers of palm oil to India since 2021 were: Liberia (up 129.6%), Thailand (up 108.9%), Philippines (up 91.3%) and Papua New Guinea (up 72%).
Countries that experienced declines in the value of their palm oil supplied to Indian importers were: Bangladesh (down -56.5% from 2021), Ivory Coast (down -36.9%), Nepal (down -26.4%) and Malaysia (down -5%).
Overall, the value of India’s imported palm oil rose by an average 22.6% from all supplying countries since 2021 when palm oil purchased cost $9.6 billion.
Palm Oil Imported into China
Mainland China’s global purchases of imported palm oil totaled US$5.84 billion in 2022. Below are the top suppliers from which China imported the highest dollar value worth of palm oil during 2022. Within parenthesis is the percentage change in value for each supplying country from 2021 to 2022.
- Indonesia: US$4 billion (down -8.4% from 2021)
- Malaysia: $1.88 billion (up 16.4%)
- Philippines: $1.9 million (up 101.4%)
- Thailand: $1.4 million (down -13.9%)
- Taiwan: $1 million (up 23.4%)
- Myanmar: $860,000 (up 323.6%)
- Ecuador: $88,000 (down -75.7%)
- Japan: $11,000 (down -65.6%)
- Brazil: $6,000 (down -40%)
By value, the listed countries shipped 100% of palm oil imported by mainland China in 2022.
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing suppliers of palm oil to China since 2021 were: Myanmar (up 323.6%), Philippines (up 101.4%), Taiwan (up 23.4%) and Malaysia (up 16.4%).
Countries that experienced double-digit declines in the value of their palm oil supplied to Chinese importers were: Ecuador (down -75.7% from 2021), Japan (down -65.6%), Brazil; (down -40%) and Thailand (down -13.9%).
Overall, the value of China’s imported palm oil fell by an average -1.7% from all supplying countries since 2021 when palm oil purchased cost $5.9 billion.
Palm Oil Imported into Pakistan
Pakistan’s global purchases of imported palm oil totaled US$3.86 billion in 2022. Below are the top suppliers from which Pakistan imported the highest dollar value worth of palm oil during 2022. Within parenthesis is the percentage change in value for each supplying country from 2021 to 2022.
- Indonesia: US$3.5 billion (up 16% from 2021)
- Malaysia: $354.7 million (down -12.1%)
- Singapore: $1.8 million (2021 data unavailable)
- Thailand: $873,000 (2021 data unavailable)
- Philippines: $269,000 (up 171.7%)
- Cameroon: $33,000 (2021 data unavailable)
By value, the listed countries shipped 100% of palm oil imported by Pakistan in 2022.
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing suppliers of palm oil to Pakistan since 2021 were: Philippines (up 171.7%) and Indonesia (up 16%).
Overall, the value of Pakistan’s imported palm oil increased by an average 12.8% from all supplying countries since 2021 when palm oil purchased cost $3.4 billion.
Palm Oil Imported into the United States
Dutch global purchases of imported palm oil totaled US$2.42 billion in 2022. Below are the top 15 suppliers from which the Netherlands imported the highest dollar value worth of palm oil during 2022. Within parenthesis is the percentage change in value for each supplying country from 2021 to 2022.
- Indonesia: US$2 billion (up 39.5% from 2021)
- Malaysia: $283.2 million (up 4.7%)
- Colombia: $33.4 million (up 106.1%)
- Ecuador: $23.8 million (up 139.2%)
- Mexico: $20 million (up 51.7%)
- Singapore: $15 million (up 96.8%)
- Costa Rica: $5.7 million (2021 data unavailable)
- Nicaragua: $4.6 million (2021 data unavailable)
- Brazil: $4.1 million (up 83.6%)
- Ghana: $1.9 million (up 42.2%)
- Panama: $1.6 million (up 3,688%)
- Spain: $1 million (up 82.3%)
- Netherlands: $992,000 (down -10%)
- Jordan: $734,000 (up 174.9%)
- Sierra Leone: $592,000 (down -32.8%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 99.9% of palm oil imported by the United States of America in 2022.
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing suppliers of palm oil to the United States since 2021 were: Panama (up 3,688%), Jordan (up 174.9%), Ecuador (up 139.2%) and Colombia (up 106.1%).
The two major suppliers that experienced declines in the value of their palm oil supplied to American importers were Sierra Leone (down -32.8%) and the Netherlands (down -10%).
Overall, the value of America’s imported palm oil accelerated by an average 35.9% from all supplying countries since 2021 when palm oil purchased cost $1.8 billion.
Searchable List of Palm Oil Importers in 2022
The 100 biggest importers of palm oil bought 98.2% of the total value for the world’s purchases of palm oil imports during 2022. Those key importers are showcased in the following automated database.
| Rank | Importer | Palm Oil Imports | 2021-2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | India | $11,728,740,000 | +22.6% |
| 2. | China | $5,842,213,000 | -1.7% |
| 3. | Pakistan | $3,855,646,000 | +12.8% |
| 4. | United States | $2,420,579,000 | +35.9% |
| 5. | Netherlands | $2,132,332,000 | +1.5% |
| 6. | Italy | $1,801,041,000 | +21.2% |
| 7. | Bangladesh | $1,770,988,000 | +21.4% |
| 8. | Malaysia | $1,457,398,000 | +26.8% |
| 9. | Spain | $1,385,074,000 | -9.3% |
| 10. | Philippines | $1,323,967,000 | +121.1% |
| 11. | Russia | $1,273,230,000 | +0.1% |
| 12. | Türkiye | $1,206,317,000 | +51.1% |
| 13. | Germany | $1,169,589,000 | +51.9% |
| 14. | Egypt | $1,126,199,000 | +17.6% |
| 15. | Vietnam | $1,114,816,000 | +6.8% |
| 16. | Kenya | $1,084,289,000 | +9.4% |
| 17. | Ethiopia | $893,780,000 | +1.2% |
| 18. | Saudi Arabia | $888,511,000 | +53.9% |
| 19. | Japan | $877,904,000 | +30% |
| 20. | South Korea | $794,188,000 | +20% |
| 21. | Myanmar | $683,260,000 | -21.4% |
| 22. | South Africa | $659,504,000 | +29.5% |
| 23. | United Arab Emirates | $646,414,000 | +88.5% |
| 24. | Belgium | $608,656,000 | -11.9% |
| 25. | Iran | $580,373,000 | +9.1% |
| 26. | Djibouti | $572,448,000 | +33.3% |
| 27. | United Kingdom | $560,413,000 | +24.4% |
| 28. | Poland | $396,159,000 | +29.3% |
| 29. | France | $386,875,000 | +12.8% |
| 30. | Brazil | $384,075,000 | +3.8% |
| 31. | Mexico | $381,300,000 | +6.1% |
| 32. | Afghanistan | $354,834,000 | +46.9% |
| 33. | Oman | $335,092,000 | +62% |
| 34. | Angola | $328,071,000 | +141.7% |
| 35. | Taiwan | $317,521,000 | +31.9% |
| 36. | Estonia | $304,591,000 | +62.9% |
| 37. | Nigeria | $300,023,000 | -32.6% |
| 38. | Denmark | $280,513,000 | +29% |
| 39. | Mozambique | $272,925,000 | -7.7% |
| 40. | Sweden | $247,630,000 | +1.3% |
| 41. | Singapore | $246,372,000 | +25.7% |
| 42. | Nepal | $245,150,000 | -14.3% |
| 43. | Ireland | $211,392,000 | +21.3% |
| 44. | Ghana | $202,216,000 | -40.5% |
| 45. | Canada | $193,572,000 | +53.3% |
| 46. | Greece | $179,495,000 | +24.4% |
| 47. | Colombia | $168,584,000 | -5.1% |
| 48. | Iraq | $164,814,000 | +22.2% |
| 49. | Ukraine | $164,063,000 | -43% |
| 50. | Madagascar | $158,110,000 | +39.3% |
| 51. | Algeria | $150,016,000 | +20.4% |
| 52. | Somalia | $145,737,000 | -19.5% |
| 53. | Tanzania | $139,123,000 | -34.9% |
| 54. | El Salvador | $138,977,000 | +16.7% |
| 55. | Haiti | $126,418,000 | -6.5% |
| 56. | Senegal | $117,023,000 | -9.5% |
| 57. | Azerbaijan | $115,878,000 | +86.9% |
| 58. | Australia | $109,320,000 | +28% |
| 59. | Uganda | $103,762,000 | -71.4% |
| 60. | Dominican Republic | $101,977,000 | +11.3% |
| 61. | Yemen | $100,073,000 | -44.9% |
| 62. | Romania | $95,416,000 | +36.8% |
| 63. | Tunisia | $90,745,000 | +60.7% |
| 64. | Rwanda | $89,345,000 | -34% |
| 65. | Nicaragua | $88,772,000 | +17.3% |
| 66. | Ivory Coast | $88,124,000 | +184.6% |
| 67. | Congo | $83,062,000 | +46.8% |
| 68. | Morocco | $80,522,000 | +34.9% |
| 69. | Zambia | $77,672,000 | -32.5% |
| 70. | Mali | $72,851,000 | -9.2% |
| 71. | Niger | $70,675,000 | -29.5% |
| 72. | Sudan | $69,379,000 | -16.6% |
| 73. | Togo | $68,061,000 | -3.8% |
| 74. | Syria | $65,715,000 | +55.3% |
| 75. | Austria | $65,127,000 | -2.1% |
| 76. | Honduras | $62,739,000 | +14.8% |
| 77. | Portugal | $61,793,000 | +43% |
| 78. | Papua New Guinea | $60,598,000 | +74.6% |
| 79. | Cameroon | $57,983,000 | -33.1% |
| 80. | Hungary | $55,951,000 | +26.9% |
| 81. | Gambia | $55,383,000 | +24515% |
| 82. | Guatemala | $53,660,000 | -13% |
| 83. | Serbia | $53,425,000 | +27.9% |
| 84. | Kazakhstan | $53,149,000 | -18.5% |
| 85. | Bulgaria | $52,378,000 | +54.8% |
| 86. | Chile | $50,263,000 | +19.8% |
| 87. | Mauritania | $48,942,000 | +19.6% |
| 88. | Qatar | $48,923,000 | +63.6% |
| 89. | Israel | $48,422,000 | +29.3% |
| 90. | Uruguay | $46,647,000 | +60% |
| 91. | Benin | $44,557,000 | -42.4% |
| 92. | Jordan | $42,846,000 | -17% |
| 93. | Uzbekistan | $42,722,000 | +404.9% |
| 94. | New Zealand | $42,095,000 | +24.7% |
| 95. | Bahrain | $41,635,000 | +80.7% |
| 96. | Malawi | $40,711,000 | -9.9% |
| 97. | Kuwait | $40,358,000 | +10.2% |
| 98. | Lebanon | $36,516,000 | +13.1% |
| 99. | Liberia | $36,420,000 | +53.7% |
| 100. | Ecuador | $36,068,000 | +88.5% |
The fastest-growing buyers among the top 100 palm oil importers are Gambia (up 24,515% from 2021), Uzbekistan (up 404.9%), Ivory Coast (up 184.6%), Angola (up 141.7%) and the Philippines (up 121.1%).
You can change the presentation order by clicking the triangle icon at the top of any of the columns in the above table. An entry of 0% in the right-most column means that no 2021 data was available.
See also Palm Oil Exports by Country, Sugar Imports by Country, Imported Pickles by Country, Butter Exports by Country and Top Cashews Exports & Imports by Country Plus Average Prices
Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Field Listing: Imports – Commodities. Accessed on August 13, 2023
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on August 13, 2023
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on August 13, 2023
Wikipedia, Palm oil. Accessed on August 13, 2023
