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Where does China get its palm oil? Import sources 2024

In 2024, China imported $3.1 billion of palm oil (3.6 million tonnes), 7.4% of the world total. Indonesia sold 65% of the total, followed by Malaysia (34%) and Thailand (0.2%). China was the world’s 2nd-largest importer of palm oil.

Summary

Value
$3.1billion
Tonnes
3.6million tonnes
Share of world total
7.4%
World rank
2nd
Routes from the main sources. Width: value; color: estimated transport mode.SeaAirLand

Sources

The 18 main sources in the latest year.

PartnerValue (USD billions)TonnesUSD per tonneShareMode
Indonesia2.1Tonnes: 2,442,726USD per tonne: $84265.5%Sea
Malaysia1.1Tonnes: 1,137,927USD per tonne: $93934%Sea
Thailand0.01Tonnes: 7,893USD per tonne: $8510.21%Sea
Myanmar< 0.01Tonnes: 4,244USD per tonne: $8550.12%Sea
Philippines< 0.01Tonnes: 4,023USD per tonne: $8350.11%Sea
Colombia< 0.01Tonnes: 1,150USD per tonne: $1,8150.07%Sea
Taiwan< 0.01Tonnes: 468USD per tonne: $1,9190.03%Sea
United Kingdom< 0.01Tonnes: —USD per tonne: —0%Sea
Japan< 0.01Tonnes: 3USD per tonne: $3,5560%Sea
Hong Kong re-exports< 0.01Tonnes: 1USD per tonne: $4,5290%Land
Lebanon< 0.01Tonnes: 3USD per tonne: $1,3940%Sea
Sweden< 0.01Tonnes: 1USD per tonne: $3,6760%Sea
South Korea< 0.01Tonnes: 0USD per tonne: $21,5220%Sea
Netherlands re-exports< 0.01Tonnes: 0USD per tonne: $2,2410%Sea
Mali< 0.01Tonnes: 0USD per tonne: $150,5000%Air
Ecuador< 0.01Tonnes: 0USD per tonne: $54,6670%Air
Belgium re-exports< 0.01Tonnes: 0USD per tonne: $34,5000%Sea
Benin< 0.01Tonnes: 0USD per tonne: $1,1430%Sea

Trend

Who it buys from

Indonesia has been its main source since 2015

Value in USD billions. The five largest sources in 2024.

  • Indonesia 2.1
  • Malaysia 1.1
  • Thailand 0.01
  • Myanmar < 0.01
  • Philippines < 0.01

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
Partner19952024
Indonesia0.062.1
Malaysia0.641.1
Thailand< 0.010.01
Myanmar0< 0.01
Philippines< 0.01< 0.01

Sources and methodology

Sources and licenses

Methodology

Goods trade from CEPII BACI (BACI_HS92_V202601), which reconciles what exporters and importers report: countries that stopped reporting (Russia since 2022) appear with their partners’ data. FOB values in current US dollars; tonnes when BACI reports them. The price per tonne is the value of the rows with a weight divided by that weight. The transport mode is our own estimate based on value per kilo and geography. Data up to 2024.

Hong Kong, Singapore, the Netherlands and Belgium re-export goods from other countries: their figures include transit.

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