US Sunflower Oil Market Grapples with Supply-Demand Imbalance

The US sunflower oil market is experiencing a supply-demand tug-of-war as stocks rise. According to ChemAnalyst, Sunflower Oil FOB USA held close to flat between July and August 2026, with FOB Los Angeles values easing 0.45 percent due to balanced domestic supply and comfortable inventories.

Crushers ran at steady rates while higher-oleic output lifted availability, pushing coastal stocks up and leaving sentiment neutral-to-bearish by month-end. Demand stayed uneven: edible-oil and food-manufacturing buyers leaned on existing stocks rather than chasing prompt cargoes, international purchases into Mexico and South Korea stayed limited, and the sunflower oil premium to soybean oil constrained substitution-based demand.

Retail demand for non-GMO oils held broadly stable, providing a modest floor to spot activity. The FAO Vegetable Oil Price Index up 0.6 percent to 196.9 points in August, its third straight gain, though the rise was led by palm and soybean oil while sunflower and rapeseed values slipped slightly.