- Export surge: Ukraine’s sunflower oil exports rose 18% MoM in March to 427,000 tons, the highest monthly volume of the 2025/26 season.
- Middle East shift: Shipments to the Middle East nearly doubled to 106,600 tons, led by record flows to Jordan, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia.
- Route reconfiguration: Disruptions near the Strait of Hormuz redirected trade away from UAE and Qatar toward countries with alternative overland and Red Sea access.
- Market tone: Overall impact is neutral to bullish for Ukrainian exporters, as redirected flows offset losses in traditional Gulf markets.
Ukraine Sunflower Oil Export Overview
Ukraine exported approximately 427,000 tons of sunflower oil in March 2025/26, an 18% increase compared to February and the largest monthly volume of the current marketing year. Despite this strong month-on-month performance, March shipments were still 3% lower than in March 2024, indicating that overall trade remains slightly below prior-year levels.
Middle East Trade Flows and Regional Shifts
The Middle East, including Turkey, absorbed 106,600 tons of Ukrainian sunflower oil in March, nearly double February’s volume and the highest level since June 2025. This increase reflects a substantial reconfiguration of trade routes as buyers adapt to logistics disruptions in and around the Strait of Hormuz.
Jordan emerged as a key growth market, importing a record 35,000 tons of Ukrainian sunflower oil in March—a 7.7-fold increase versus February. Turkey’s intake reached around 40,000 tons, 2.4 times higher month-on-month and the strongest level in 10 months. Saudi Arabia also sharply increased purchases to roughly 15,000 tons, a 14-fold monthly jump and an eight-month high.
In contrast, flows to traditional Gulf buyers weakened significantly. Shipments to the UAE dropped 32% month-on-month, Qatar’s imports fell 85%, and there were no reported deliveries to Iraq in March. These declines are tied closely to the ongoing military conflict and supply chain disruptions near the Strait of Hormuz, prompting importers to switch to alternative overland and Red Sea–linked routes via Jordan, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia.
Export Volume Breakdown
| Destination / Metric | March 2025/26 Volume (tons) | MoM Change | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Ukraine sunflower oil exports | 427,000 | +18% | Highest monthly volume of the 2025/26 MY |
| Total Middle East (incl. Turkey) | 106,600 | ~2x | Largest since June 2025 |
| Jordan | 35,000 | 7.7x | Record monthly imports |
| Turkey | 40,000 | 2.4x | 10-month high |
| Saudi Arabia | 15,000 | 14x | Eight-month high |
| UAE | N/A | -32% | Drop linked to Strait of Hormuz disruptions |
| Qatar | N/A | -85% | Sharp decline amid regional routing issues |
| Iraq | 0 | N/A | No deliveries recorded in March |
Market Impact and Outlook
Neutral to Bullish for Ukrainian sunflower oil exporters. The rerouting of trade flows away from the Strait of Hormuz highlights the flexibility of Ukrainian suppliers and Middle Eastern buyers in maintaining supply despite geopolitical risk. Expanded volumes to Jordan, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia more than offset contraction in the UAE, Qatar, and Iraq, driving total Middle Eastern offtake to multi-month highs.
From a price and sentiment perspective, the 18% month-on-month export growth signals firm global demand for Ukrainian sunflower oil. However, the 3% year-on-year decline in March exports shows that the market has not fully returned to last year’s levels. Traders and risk managers should watch whether these redirected flows become structurally embedded—via established overland and Red Sea corridors—or revert once tensions and logistics bottlenecks around the Strait of Hormuz ease.
Source: Market Data
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