Malaysian palm oil futures tumbled around 1.7% to below MYR 4,250 per tonne, extending losses for the fourth consecutive session and reaching their lowest level since early August. The steep decline was driven by a stronger ringgit and weakness in rival vegetable oils traded in Dalian and Chicago markets. At the same time, demand prospects dimmed as winter approaches, when palm oil consumption in key buyers such as India and China typically slows. On the export front, shipments during October 1–25 fell by about 0.3%–0.4% month-on-month, according to cargo surveyors, reinforcing expectations of softer demand. Still, losses were partly limited after U.S. President Trump expressed optimism about reaching a trade truce with Chinese leader Xi Jinping during their meeting in the coming days. Meanwhile, palm oil inventories in top producer Indonesia fell 1% in August from the prior month to 2.54 million metric tons, data from the country’s palm oil association GAPKI showed.
