Malaysia Increased Palm-Based Oleochemical Exports to China

The export of palm-based oleochemicals from Malaysia to China increased 1.4 times to 604,208 MT in 2023 from 434,333 MT a decade ago (2014), according to Plantation and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani, the Kuala Lumpur Bernama reported on October 22.
The minister said China’s main surfactant industry players are exploring business opportunities to use palm-base oleochemicals to produce detergents, which is in line with the country’s efforts to move towards green industry.  He emphasized that Malaysia remains committed to ensuring sustainable palm oil production via the Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) certification.  “Implementing MSPO (certification) for Malaysian palm oil is also in line with China’s green chemicals initiative, especially in the aspect of sustainably producing surfactants for the market in China,” he said in a statement.
Eleven major surfactant producers in China visited Malaysia for a week to learn more about Malaysia’s sustainable palm industry and to explore trade opportunities between the two countries.  The Chinese delegation’s visit resulted from the Palm Oil Trade and Investment Initiative 2024 program organized by the Malaysia Palm Oil Board in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs under the Malaysian Technical Cooperation Program.