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China maintains its position as the global leader in sunflower oil and meal imports, though its import landscape has experienced significant volatility over the past five years. Data from the International Trade Center reveals that in 2021, China imported 1.283 million tons of sunflower oil valued at $1.348 billion. Ukraine was the primary supplier with 887,000 tons, followed by the Russian Federation with 363,000 tons, while Kazakhstan held a mere 1% market share with 11,000 tons.
By 2022, sunflower oil imports halved to 605,000 tons worth $861 million. Ukraine's contribution fell to 319,000 tons and Russia's to 217,000 tons, whereas Kazakhstan's share grew to 64,000 tons, capturing 11% of the market. The following year, 2023, saw imports surge to a record 1.521 million tons worth $1.774 billion. During this peak, Russia supplied 789,000 tons and Ukraine 582,000 tons, while Kazakhstan increased its volume to 129,000 tons, though its market share dipped to 8% due to the overall volume spike.
In 2024, China reduced its intake to 1.092 million tons valued at $1.020 billion. Purchases included 703,000 tons from Russia, 246,000 tons from Ukraine, and 115,000 tons from Kazakhstan, which reclaimed an 11% market share. The downward trend in total volume continued into 2025, hitting a five-year low of 524,000 tons worth $615 million. While Ukraine's supplies plummeted to just 68,000 tons, Kazakhstan’s exports reached a five-year high of 147,000 tons, representing a record-breaking 28% of China's total sunflower oil imports.
Continuing this momentum into 2026, Kazakhstan has significantly ramped up its shipments to China. Official statistics for the first eight months of the year show that sunflower oil exports to China rose by 66% year-on-year to 190,000 tons. Furthermore, sunflower meal exports surged more than 2.6 times, reaching 246,000 tons during the same period.
Source: Electronic Grain Exchange of Ukraine