Kazakhstan increases sunflower oil exports to China amid reduced supplies from Ukraine

China is the world's largest importer of sunflower oil and meal, but the sunflower oil import market in this country has been quite volatile over the past 5 years.

 

According to the International Trade Center, in 2021, China imported 1.283 million tons of sunflower oil worth $1.348 billion, of which 887 thousand tons came from Ukraine, 363 thousand tons from the Russian Federation, and only 11 thousand tons from Kazakhstan (which accounted for 1% of the market).

 

In 2022, imports of sunflower oil halved to 605 thousand tons (worth $861 million), of which 319 thousand tons were supplied from Ukraine, 217 thousand tons from the Russian Federation, and 64 thousand tons from Kazakhstan (which already accounted for 11% of the market).

 

In 2023, sunflower oil imports grew to a record 1.521 million tons worth $1.774 billion. At the same time, 582 thousand tons were supplied from Ukraine, 789 thousand tons from the Russian Federation, and 129 thousand tons from Kazakhstan (which, despite the increase in physical volume, accounted for only 8% of the market).

 

In 2024, China reduced imports of sunflower oil to 1.092 million tons worth $1.020 billion, purchasing 703 thousand tons from the Russian Federation, 246 thousand tons from Ukraine, and 115 thousand tons from Kazakhstan (11% of the market).

 

In 2025, imports of sunflower oil to the PRC decreased to a 5-year low of 524 thousand tons ($615 million), of which 280 thousand tons were supplied from the Russian Federation and only 68 thousand tons from Ukraine. At the same time, supplies from Kazakhstan increased to a 5-year high of 147 thousand tons, which amounted to a record 28% of the total volume of imports.

 

In 2026, Kazakhstan significantly increased its supplies of sunflower oil and meal to China. According to official statistics, in the first 8 months of this year, exports of sunflower oil to China increased by 66% compared to the same period last year to 190 thousand tons, and of meal - by more than 2.6 times to 246 thousand tons.