Malaysian palm oil futures hovered above MYR 4,850 per tonne on the first trading day of a new month, extending gains for a fifth straight session and reaching their highest level since December 2024. Strength came from firmer edible oil prices in Dalian and Chicago markets, alongside stronger crude ahead of U.S. President Trump’s address on Iran. The upside was further reinforced after Indonesia, a top producer, said it will raise its mandatory biodiesel blending rate to 50%, B50, from 40% starting July 1.
In China, another main consumer, factory activity expanded for a fourth consecutive month in March, though growth slowed, according to a private survey. However, gains were capped by a stronger ringgit and expectations of softer demand in top buyer India, with March imports estimated at 680,000 tonnes versus 847,689 tonnes in February. Meanwhile, EU palm oil imports for the 2025/26 season beginning July slipped 2% year-on-year to 2.14 million tonnes, European Commission data showed.
