Morocco receives rapeseed oil from Russia for the first time

For the first time in the history of trade between the two countries, Russia has begun exporting rapeseed oil to Morocco. Volumes delivered between January and April 2025 exceeded 8,000 tons, according to the Russian federal center “Agroexport”.

Agricultural relations between Russia and Morocco reach a new milestone. According to data from the “Agroexport” center, Morocco has imported rapeseed oil from Russia for the first time in its history. This significant breakthrough illustrates Russia’s gradual return to the Moroccan agri-food market, after several years of interruption. In the first four months of 2025, over 8,000 tonnes of rapeseed oil were shipped to the Kingdom. At the same time, over 1,400 tonnes of soybean meal and residues were delivered.

This increase in trade comes after a revival that began in 2024. Russia had suspended its fat exports to Morocco for almost five years. Last year, however, the Kingdom once again became a priority market for Russian producers. In 2024, Morocco became one of the world’s top ten importers of Russian sunflower meal, and one of the top five customers for rapeseed meal. In volume terms, these purchases were split 60% sunflower by-products and 40% rapeseed.

While Russia’s overall vegetable oil exports fell by 18% in the first quarter of 2025, rapeseed oil is emerging as a growth product, according to data from OleoScope. Shipments of this oil rose by 23% over the period, reaching 503,000 tonnes, a record for this product. Morocco is part of this positive dynamic, capturing a share of this expanding segment.

In the first four months of 2025, the total volume of Russian exports of oilseed and fat products to Morocco reached almost 85,000 tonnes. Growth potential remains high. “Agroexport estimates that deliveries of Russian agricultural products to Morocco could eventually represent a $350 million market. In addition to oils and oilcakes, the most promising sectors include cereals and processed food products.

For Mikhail Maltsev, Executive Director of the Russian Fats Union, the North African region, and Morocco in particular, is set to play a growing role in Russian exports. He points out that these countries rely heavily on imports of vegetable oils and oilcakes to cover their needs.

It should be noted that Morocco is heavily dependent on imports for its consumption of table oil, with around 85% to 90% of demand covered by imported products. In 2023, the Kingdom imported around 660,000 tonnes of vegetable oils, mainly in the form of crude oils for local processing.

The value of these imports reached almost $120 million, with a marked preference for sunflower and soybean oil, two oils widely used by Moroccan households. This structural dependence on external markets makes the domestic market vulnerable to international price fluctuations and global logistical disruptions, although recent price declines have brought a relative lull in domestic prices.