Malaysian palm oil futures edged up to hover around MYR 4,000 per tonne on Wednesday, rebounding from the prior session’s weakness. Prices found support from a softer ringgit and stronger rival edible oils in Dalian and Chicago, while demand expectations have improved ahead of the Lunar New Year and Ramadan fasting month in February. Still, gains were limited by a sharp drop in crude oil prices following U.S. military action in Venezuela, which pressured the broader vegetable oil complex. Concerns over weaker purchases from top buyer India also lingered, after December palm oil imports fell to an eight-month low amid weaker winter consumption and higher purchases of competing oils. Meanwhile, cargo surveyors reported Malaysia’s palm oil shipments dropped 5.2%–5.8% month-over-month in the final month of 2025. Adding to caution, Reuters estimated Malaysia’s palm oil inventories likely rose to their highest in nearly seven years in December, ahead of the upcoming official monthly data.
