KUALA LUMPUR (Aug 12): 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.

“Exports to these markets not only contribute to national revenue but are also strategically significant,” the ministry said in a written reply published on the parliament's official website today.

KPK added that Malaysia exports significantly larger volumes of processed palm oil (PPO) and palm-based products compared to CPO.

“According to data released by the Department of Statistics Malaysia, the total palm oil exports in 2024 stood at 15.39 million tonnes. Of this amount, CPO exports accounted for only 3.69 million tonnes, valued at RM15.09 billion, while processed palm oil exports amounted to 11.69 million tonnes, valued at RM50.73 billion,” the ministry stated.

The ministry explained that this means only 24% of Malaysia’s palm oil exports were in the form of CPO, compared to PPO. “In addition, exports of palm-based products totalled 14.8 million tonnes with a value of RM53.44 billion, compared to 11.98 million tonnes valued at RM46.3 billion in 2023. This indicates 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,” it added.

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