Turkish tariffs put additional pressure on Ukrainian sunflower oil

The reduction in duty rates could strengthen the position of Russian suppliers in the Turkish market.

Turkey has reduced import duties on crude sunflower oil from 36% to 30%, and on sunflower seeds from 20% to 12%. The new tariffs will come into effect on October 1, 2025, writes ASAP Agri.

This decision complements the July preferential quota scheme, which allows Turkish processors to import either 1 million tons of sunflower seeds duty-free or 400 thousand tons of oil at a 20% rate from January 12 to May 31, 2026.

According to broker Ayberk Ozturk, a 6 pp reduction in the duty on crude oil actually reduces import costs by USD 70/t. This makes Turkish producers more competitive and stimulates a decrease in domestic prices for oil.

Analysts expect the new tariffs, along with quotas, to boost imports in the coming months. The main beneficiary will be Russian products, as the reduction in duties offsets the impact of Russian export duties (approximately USD 70/t in September). At the same time, this leaves room for the competitiveness of Ukrainian and other alternative oils at the start of the season.

Thus, Ankara’s policy should stabilize or even reduce prices on the domestic market, increase the margins of local processors, and at the same time strengthen Turkey’s role as a key importer and exporter of refined sunflower oil in the Black Sea-Mediterranean region.

Also, the day before, USM reported that a Russian-flagged ship carrying stolen Ukrainian wheat was heading to a Turkish port.