Kuala lumpur: Malaysia’s crude palm oil (CPO) exports continue to play an important role in the palm oil industry, as they help ensure that Malaysia does not lose market share to its closest competitor, Indonesia. The Ministry of Plantation and Commodities (KPK) stated that this is particularly important for existing markets such as India, Kenya, and the Netherlands, which are key importers of Malaysia’s CPO.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the ministry emphasized that exports to these markets not only contribute to national revenue but are also strategically significant. This statement was made in a written reply published on the parliament’s official website today. KPK further highlighted that Malaysia exports significantly larger volumes of processed palm oil (PPO) and palm-based products compared to CPO.

The ministry provided data from the Department of Statistics Malaysia, indicating that total palm oil exports in 2024 stood at 15.39 million metric tonnes. Of this amount, CPO exports accounted for only 3.69 million metric tonnes, valued at RM15.09 billion, while processed palm oil exports amounted to 11.69 million metric tonnes, valued at RM50.73 billion.

KPK explained that only 24 percent of Malaysia’s palm oil exports were in the form of CPO, compared to PPO. Additionally, exports of palm-based products totaled 14.80 million metric tonnes with a value of RM53.44 billion, compared to 11.98 million metric tonnes valued at RM46.3 billion in 2023. This suggests that the export performance of higher value-added downstream palm oil products is steadily growing, in line with efforts to reduce reliance on CPO exports.