According to preliminary EuroStat data, Romania expects to import a record amount of soybeans in the 2024/25 marketing year. During the period September-July, the country has already imported about 270 thousand tons of Ukrainian soybeans, which is an absolute historical maximum for the Romanian market. This is reported by UkrAgroConsult.

Since the beginning of the full-scale war, Ukraine has become the main supplier of soybeans to Romania, compensating for the shortage of raw materials for local processors. This confirms the growing dependence of the Romanian market on Ukrainian supplies.

Romania has traditionally been self-sufficient in vegetable oils, in particular sunflower and rapeseed. However, recent years of summer drought have caused difficulties in the production of local sunflower seeds, in particular due to high prices for raw materials. This has pushed imports of Ukrainian soybeans and crude sunflower oil to increase.

Official harvest data indicate a decrease in the area of ​​Romanian sunflower. Nevertheless, thanks to the increased yield compared to last year, production remained at a fairly high level, and experts estimate that Romanian sunflower exports this season will be comparable to last.

Available port data show that the pace of Romanian sunflower exports remains high, with Turkey continuing to be the main destination. This indicates a stable demand for Romanian products on international markets.

During the season, local processors and traditional EU importers of Romanian sunflower may feel price pressure due to lower processing margins. If sunflower oil prices do not increase significantly, the sector’s costs and profitability may decrease, posing challenges to market stability.