In 2024, Ukraine’s sunflower oil exports reached $5.12 billion, securing 36.8% of the global market for this product and accounting for 20.8% of the country’s total agricultural exports, ProAgro Group reports. This result once again confirms Ukraine’s status as the undisputed global leader in the sunflower oil segment.

Russia ranked second among the world’s largest exporters with $3.72 billion, followed by Turkey with $1.28 billion. The European Union remained the key destination for Ukrainian sunflower oil, absorbing 56% of exports. Significant volumes were also shipped to India (14%), Turkey (7%), Egypt (3%), and Iraq (3%).

A major trend in 2024 was the recovery of maritime logistics. The share of sunflower oil shipments through deep-sea Black Sea ports increased to 52%, up from just 18% in 2023. At the same time, the role of Danube ports declined sharply from 57% to 22%, bringing them in line with the share of the so-called Solidarity Lanes.

Although export revenues have not yet returned to the record level of $6.39 billion in 2021, stabilizing exports above $5 billion allowed Ukraine to retain its leading position on the global market. Over the year, Ukrainian sunflower oil was supplied to 134 countries, highlighting an expanded export geography and the industry’s ability to adapt to logistical constraints and wartime risks.

As previously reported, in the 2025/26 marketing year Ukraine is expected to significantly reduce the production and processing of oilseeds, including sunflower, by 1.5 million tonnes, or 16.7%.

Source: UCAB