Malaysian palm oil futures soared 1.4% on Monday to around MYR 4,090 per tonne, rebounding from a modest decline in the prior session. The recovery was supported by fresh data from the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) showing December output fell 5.5% month-on-month to 1.83 million tonnes, easing supply concerns. Shipments also improved, climbing 8.5% to 1.32 million tonnes after earlier weakness. Adding to the upbeat tone, cargo surveyor Intertek Testing Services reported exports of Malaysian palm oil products for January 1–10 surged 29.2% from the same period in December. Demand prospects brightened in India, the world’s largest importer, where purchases are expected to rebound in January after dropping to an eight-month low in December. Still, gains were capped by a stronger ringgit, which weighs on export competitiveness, and softness in edible oils on China’s Dalian exchange. Traders also remained cautious ahead of key Chinese data this week, including December trade and Q4 GDP.
