Malaysian palm oil futures hovered below MYR 4,500 per tonne on Friday, set for a second weekly decline, down about 1.4% so far. Weakness stemmed from softer soyoil prices in Chicago markets and sluggish exports, with cargo surveyors noting April 1–15 shipments fell over 34% mom amid muted festive demand. Easing Middle East tensions also pressured crude oil, dampening risk appetite. Still, losses were capped by a weaker ringgit and firmer edible oil prices on China’s Dalian exchange. On the demand side, purchases from India, the largest consumer, are expected to rebound after March imports dropped 19% to a three-month low. Supply factors remained supportive, with inventories falling for a third month to a seven-month low. Meanwhile, Malaysia’s palm-based biodiesel consumption is projected to rise by more than 300,000 tonnes annually, according to the Malaysian Palm Oil Board, as the country joins top supplier Indonesia in boosting blending mandates to curb reliance on energy imports.
