Malaysian palm oil futures slipped below MYR 4,520 per tonne on Friday, snapping a two-day rise as a stronger ringgit and weakness in Dalian and Chicago rival oils weighed on sentiment. Trading was quiet ahead of Monday’s holiday. For the week, the benchmark is poised to end lower, down 0.7% so far, reversing gains from the past two weeks amid renewed U.S.–China trade tensions. Washington is reportedly mulling new curbs on trade ties, including cooking oil, sparking fears of softer Chinese demand for palm oil. Losses were offset by signs of resilient exports, with cargo surveyors reporting Malaysia’s palm oil exports for Oct. 1–15 rose between 12.3% and 16.2% from September. India, a top buyer, also raised base import prices for all vegetable oils in its latest bi-weekly review. Meanwhile, Indonesia, the world’s largest producer, may require international flights from Jakarta and Bali to use a 1% aviation fuel blend starting in 2026, potentially boosting domestic palm oil usage.
