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Egypt Palm Oil Market

Egypt palm oil market 2026: 890,411 t imported in 2024 (Indonesia 65 %, Malaysia 35 %), the main refiners, HS codes, entry ports and import compliance.

01

Egypt as a major palm oil importer

Egypt imported 936,682 t of palm oil worth US$1.32 billion in 2023 and 890,411 t worth US$1.24 billion in 2024 (HS 1511.90, UN Comtrade via World Bank WITS). The country is structurally dependent on imports — it has no oil-palm cultivation — and palm oil is one of the three pillars of its edible-oil supply alongside soybean and sunflower oil.

Customs declare almost all of it under HS 1511.90 (palm oil and fractions other than crude palm oil — which includes crude palm olein); HS 1511.10 crude palm oil was 651 t in 2024. USDA's Cairo post notes that almost all palm oil reaches Egypt crude and is refined locally, and forecasts imports and consumption of about 1.2 million t for marketing year 2025/26 (October–September) — a partner-export, marketing-year figure, which is why it sits above the calendar-year customs totals.

Import sources

Indonesia
679,309 t in 2023 (73 %) · 580,539 t in 2024 (65 %)
Malaysia
251,499 t in 2023 (27 %) · 308,692 t in 2024 (35 %)
All other origins
under 1 % in both years (Saudi Arabia, the Netherlands, the UAE, Türkiye)

HS codes

1511.10
Crude palm oil (CPO), undeodorized
1511.90
Refined palm oil (RBD palm oil, palm olein, palm stearin)
1513.21
Crude palm kernel oil (CPKO)
1513.29
Refined palm kernel oil
02

Market at a glance

MetricValueSource / year
Palm oil imports, HS 1511.90936,682 t, US$1.32 bn (2023) · 890,411 t, US$1.24 bn (2024)World Bank WITS / UN Comtrade
Crude palm oil imports, HS 1511.10651 t (2024)World Bank WITS / UN Comtrade
Import sources 2024Indonesia 580,539 t (65 %) · Malaysia 308,692 t (35 %) · others under 1 %World Bank WITS / UN Comtrade
Import sources 2023Indonesia 679,309 t (73 %) · Malaysia 251,499 t (27 %)World Bank WITS / UN Comtrade
Imports and consumption, MY 2025/26 forecastAbout 1.2 million t eachUSDA FAS Cairo, Apr 2025
Use of palm oilVegetable ghee ~50 % · shortenings ~40 % · margarine ~3 % (94 % food)USDA FAS Cairo, Apr 2025
Domestic cultivationNone — structurally import-dependentUSDA FAS Cairo, Apr 2025
HS codes1511.10 CPO · 1511.90 RBD / olein / stearin · 1513.21 / 1513.29 palm kernel oilHS nomenclature
Entry portsAin Sokhna (EGSOK) · Damietta (EGDAM) · Alexandria (EGALY)EGG trade desk
ComplianceGOEIC clearance, Egyptian Standards for edible palm oil and its fractions, SDS + Certificate of Origin, ISCC / RSPO preferredEGG trade desk
03

Key Egyptian edible-oil refiners and packers

Egypt's palm oil is bought by a handful of large refiners and packers and by industrial food manufacturers. Those that can be documented from their own or public sources:

Afia International Company (Savola Foods)
established in Egypt in 1992; refines crude and semi-refined vegetable oils into cooking oils and vegetable ghee; brands include Rawaby, Ganna and Afia.
Arma Group
edible oils, vegetable ghee and derivatives; declares production capacity above 2,600 t/day.
IFFCO Egypt
established 1999; refining and processing plant in Suez for vegetable oils and fats.
Cairo Oil & Soap
founded 1953, listed on the Egyptian Exchange (COSG); edible oils, ghee and soap.
United Oil Processing & Packaging
established 1987, 10th of Ramadan City; refining, packing and export of vegetable oils and fats.

No public source gives a reliable national refining-capacity or utilisation figure, so this page does not quote one.

04

Port logistics

Palm oil arrives as bulk liquid in parcel tankers at:

Ain Sokhna
(EGSOK) — Red Sea side, the natural first call for cargoes from Indonesia and Malaysia
Damietta
(EGDAM) — Mediterranean side, secondary
Alexandria
(EGALY) — minor edible-oil throughput

After discharge, oil moves by insulated road tanker to refineries (Indonesia + Malaysia bulk shipments heat the cargo to 50–55°C during voyage to keep it liquid; tank trucks maintain temperature in-country).

Refined product distribution is drums (190 kg), 20 L jerry cans, 5 L PET bottles, 1 L retail PET, and bulk to industrial users (bakeries, biscuit makers, snack manufacturers).

05

End uses in Egypt

USDA's Cairo post estimates that 94 % of palm oil goes to food production: vegetable ghee takes about 50 % of palm oil use, vegetable shortenings about 40 % — restaurants, caterers and fast-food chains use shortening extensively — and margarine about 3 %, mainly in private bakeries and patisseries. Because palm oil sits inside staple products, demand reacts less to price swings than other oils. Import duty on crude palm oil is zero.

07

Trade compliance

Imports require:

GOEIC clearance
(General Organization for Export and Import Control)
Egyptian Standards for edible palm oil and its fractions
(issued by EOS) — peroxide value, FFA, colour, melting point
Safety data sheet + Certificate of Origin
for each shipment
ISCC / RSPO certification
strongly preferred (and increasingly required for export-quality finished goods going to EU)
08

How Egypt Globe Group helps palm oil trade

Egypt Globe Group runs the Pelot Trading & Logistics arm covering edible-oil trade — connecting Indonesian and Malaysian palm oil exporters with Egyptian refiners, providing freight + insurance + L/C structuring + storage tank coordination + Egyptian customs clearance.

09

QA and reliability

Egypt Globe Group positions itself as your verified, long-term supply-chain ally: incorporated 2014 with an internal Quality Assurance division at its nucleus, ISO 9001:2015 across all divisions, and uncompromising QA verification from extraction to destination port. Every lot is tested at the loading-port laboratory and the Certificate of Analysis or Mill Test Certificate is issued before the Bill of Lading; lots outside specification are rejected at the loading port, never re-graded or renegotiated. Independent inspection by TÜV Austria, SGS, Intertek or Bureau Veritas (all ISO/IEC 17020 + 17025) is available on every shipment, laycans are run with documented NOR / SOF, and the specification is guaranteed at the port of loading under the sales contract — see inspection & quality control, trade documentation and quality & compliance. For edible-oil parcels the chain runs origin mill certificate → independent load-port survey (FFA, peroxide value, moisture, colour, ullage) → tank-terminal discharge survey at Ain Sokhna or Damietta → refinery laboratory, with GOEIC and Egyptian Standards documentation prepared before arrival.

10

Sources

  • USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, Egypt: Oilseeds and Products Annual, GAIN report EG2025-0013, 15 April 2025 — fas.usda.gov
  • World Bank WITS (UN Comtrade), Egypt imports, HS 151190 and 151110, 2023 and 2024 — wits.worldbank.org
  • American Chamber of Commerce in Egypt, member profile Afia International Company – Savola Foods — amcham.org.eg
  • Arma Trading & Marketing, Gulfood 2026 exhibitor profile — gulfood.com
  • IFFCO, Egypt — iffco.com
  • United Oil Processing and Packaging, About — unitedoil-eg.com
11

Sourcing palm oil or other edible oils through Egypt Globe?

The Pelot Trading & Logistics arm connects Indonesian and Malaysian exporters with Egyptian refiners and industrial users. Product pages: crude palm oil CPO, RBD soybean oil and crude sunflower oil, from 100 MT, with the full range in the edible oils catalogue.

Verification:
origin mill certificate, independent load-port survey of FFA, peroxide value, moisture, colour and ullage, and tank-terminal discharge survey at Ain Sokhna or Damietta, with GOEIC and Egyptian Standards documentation prepared before arrival.
What we handle:
freight, insurance, L/C structuring, storage tank coordination and Egyptian customs clearance.

Request edible-oil trade quote →

Contents· 11 sections
  1. 01Egypt as a major palm oil importer
  2. 02Market at a glance
  3. 03Key Egyptian edible-oil refiners and packers
  4. 04Port logistics
  5. 05End uses in Egypt
  6. 06Supply options from EGG
  7. 07Trade compliance
  8. 08How Egypt Globe Group helps palm oil trade
  9. 09QA and reliability
  10. 10Sources
  11. 11Sourcing palm oil or other edible oils through Egypt Globe?
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Frequently asked questions

How much palm oil does Egypt import?
Customs data show 936,682 t (US$1.32 billion) in 2023 and 890,411 t (US$1.24 billion) in 2024 under HS 1511.90 (UN Comtrade via WITS). USDA's Cairo post forecasts imports of about 1.2 million t for marketing year 2025/26. Egypt grows no oil palm, so supply is entirely imported.
Where does Egypt import palm oil from?
Indonesia and Malaysia supply more than 99 %. In 2024 Indonesia shipped 580,539 t (65 %) and Malaysia 308,692 t (35 %); in 2023 the split was 73 % to 27 %.
Who are the major edible-oil refiners in Egypt?
Afia International Company (Savola Foods, in Egypt since 1992), Arma Group (declared capacity above 2,600 t/day), IFFCO Egypt (Suez plant, since 1999), Cairo Oil & Soap (EGX: COSG, founded 1953) and United Oil Processing & Packaging (10th of Ramadan City, since 1987).
What are the HS codes for palm oil in Egypt?
1511.10 crude palm oil, 1511.90 refined palm oil and fractions (RBD palm oil, olein, stearin), 1513.21 crude palm kernel oil and 1513.29 refined palm kernel oil. Almost all Egyptian imports are declared under 1511.90. Imports need GOEIC clearance and must meet the Egyptian Standards for edible palm oil.
Which ports handle palm oil imports in Egypt?
Ain Sokhna (EGSOK) on the Red Sea is the natural first call for Indonesian and Malaysian cargoes; Damietta (EGDAM) and Alexandria (EGALY) serve the Mediterranean side. The oil arrives heated in parcel tankers and moves to refineries by insulated road tanker.
What is palm oil used for in Egypt?
USDA's Cairo post estimates 94 % goes to food: about 50 % into vegetable ghee, 40 % into shortenings for restaurants, caterers and fast-food chains, and 3 % into margarine for bakeries and patisseries.

Other questions? Email our export desk — the export desk replies to every request.