Ukraine increased sunflower oil exports to the Middle East in March, and deliveries to Jordan reached a record high
4.04.2026 - 15:41
The most noticeable growth was recorded in the direction of Jordan, Turkey and Saudi Arabia.
In March, Ukraine significantly increased the shipment of sunflower oil to the Middle East. This was reported by APK-Inform.
In March 2026, Ukraine exported a record volume of sunflower oil to Jordan for the current season – about 35 thousand tons, which is 7.7 times higher than in February.
In addition, the maximum in the last 10 months was reached by deliveries of Ukrainian oil to Turkey – about 40 thousand tons, which is 2.4 times more than a month earlier. 15 thousand tons were shipped to Saudi Arabia in March, and this was the highest figure in the last eight months. Compared to February, exports in this direction increased 14 times.
According to analysts, the increase in supplies to a number of Middle Eastern countries is associated with the military conflict in the region and logistics disruptions through the Strait of Hormuz. Key ports and transshipment terminals of some partner countries are located near it, so companies were forced to look for alternative supply routes, including overland through neighboring states that have access to the Red Sea.
At the same time, the dynamics were not positive in all directions. Supplies of Ukrainian sunflower oil to the UAE decreased by 32%, to Qatar by 85%, and there were no exports to Iraq in March.
In total, 106.6 thousand tons of Ukrainian sunflower oil were shipped to the Middle Eastern countries, including Turkey, in March. This is almost twice as much as in February, and the highest figure since June 2025.
Overall, Ukraine’s March sunflower oil exports reached about 427,000 tons, an 18% increase over February and the highest monthly figure since the start of the 2025/26 season. However, year-on-year volumes remained slightly lower, down about 3% from March 2025.
At the same time, as USM previously reported, Ukraine’s grain exports remain 23% lower than last year.
