Canada increased canola oil exports to a 1.5-year high in April, while canola supplies continue to decline

According to Statistics Canada, in April, canola oil exports from Canada reached 307 thousand tonnes, which exceeded the March figure (273 thousand tonnes) and was 23% higher than in April 2025 (249 thousand tonnes). This was the highest monthly result since January 2025.

The main factor behind the growth in exports remains stable demand from the US. In April, 293 thousand tons of canola oil were delivered to the US market, which is about 95% of the total export volume. For comparison, in March this figure was 252 thousand tons, and in April 2025 - 164 thousand tons.

Analysts believe that strong demand from the US will continue due to the limited supply of vegetable oils and fats in the domestic market. An additional advantage of Canadian canola oil is its compliance with the requirements of American biofuel production support programs and tax incentives for the industry.

At the same time, canola meal exports continue to grow strongly. Record volumes of domestic canola processing and limited growth in domestic consumption are forcing Canadian processors to more actively promote meal to foreign markets at competitive prices.

In April, canola meal exports amounted to 561 thousand tons, compared to 572 thousand tons in March and 465 thousand tons in April last year. Of this volume, 432 thousand tons, or 77%, were delivered to the US. For comparison, in March, deliveries to the US amounted to 494 thousand tons, and a year earlier - 285 thousand tons.

This brought total canola meal exports to the US since the start of the 2025/26 season (August 2025) to a record 3.5 million tonnes, up from 2.9 million tonnes in the same period of the previous marketing year. Thailand, Vietnam, South Korea, Colombia and New Zealand also recorded significant increases in canola meal purchases this season.

However, direct canola exports continue to decline. According to Statistics Canada, shipments in April amounted to just 0.78 million tonnes, significantly below March’s 1.01 million tonnes and April’s 0.92 million tonnes. In addition, actual exports were lower than the Canadian Grain Commission’s previous estimate of at least 1 million tonnes.

China remained the top buyer of canola in April, importing 452,000 tonnes, the second highest monthly figure in a year, although still slightly below April of last year, when purchases totaled 469,000 tonnes.

At the same time, canola exports to other countries have decreased significantly. Total shipments to alternative markets have decreased by almost 50% compared to March and amounted to only 330 thousand tons. The largest reduction was recorded in shipments to Japan - to 34 thousand tons compared to 269 thousand tons in March and 198 thousand tons in April 2025.

In total, Canada has exported 6.06 million tonnes of canola since the start of the 2025/26 marketing year, significantly less than the 7.68 million tonnes shipped during the same period in the 2024/25 season. The main export destinations remain the European Union — 1.52 (1.04) million tonnes, China — 1.15 (4.12) million tonnes and Japan — 1.19 (1.30) million tonnes.