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The European Union has recorded a substantial increase in oilseed flax imports during the opening months of the 2026/27 marketing year. According to data from the European Commission, the bloc imported 182,000 tonnes of oilseed flax between July and October, marking a 47.9% rise from the 123,000 tonnes recorded during the same period last year.
Reports from UkrAgroConsult highlight that Kazakhstan maintains its position as the dominant supplier to the EU. The Central Asian nation increased its exports by 75.5% to reach 100,260 tonnes, accounting for approximately 55% of the total European import volume. Canada also witnessed a dramatic shift, increasing its shipments 3.7 times to 53,690 tonnes. Ukraine secured the third position among primary suppliers, boosting its deliveries by 49.6% to 18,750 tonnes compared to 12,530 tonnes in the previous year.
Conversely, EU imports of Russian oilseed flax plummeted by 95.9%, falling from 31,530 tonnes to a mere 1,300 tonnes, a direct consequence of newly implemented import duties. While global supplies remain adequate, analysts warn that future deliveries to Europe face mounting logistical hurdles. In October, Russian Railways suspended approvals for transit railcars heading to Baltic ports, complicating Kazakhstan's export route. An alternative path through Belarus to the Lithuanian port of Klaipėda has added an estimated $15–$20 per tonne in logistics costs.
Additional risks include seasonal winter restrictions at Baltic ports and a projected 12–15% spike in road transport costs in Poland by early 2027 as government fuel subsidies end. The Black Sea region faces its own set of challenges; sea freight rates have more than doubled over the past ten weeks, while war risk insurance costs have quadrupled. These factors heavily weigh on shipments from Ukraine and Moldova, where competitive pricing may not be enough to offset the surge in delivery expenses. Currently, brown oilseed flax prices in Poland are quoted at €650–€670 per tonne EXW, while golden flax is offered at €960–€980 per tonne.
Belgium remains the EU's largest importer of the crop, with purchases surging 126.6% to 134,030 tonnes. Poland follows in second place with 20,260 tonnes, despite a nearly one-third decline in its import volume. Other notable increases were seen in France, Italy, and Germany, reflecting a broader European trend of diversifying oilseed supply chains amid geopolitical shifts.
Source: AgroPortal.ua