PALMOILMAGAZINE, KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysian crude palm oil (CPO) futures closed mostly higher on Thursday (July 30, 2026), supported by growing optimism over the country’s export performance, which is expected to post solid growth throughout July.
Improving export shipments boosted market sentiment, reinforcing expectations that global demand for palm oil remains resilient despite continued competition from other vegetable oils. Traders viewed the stronger export outlook as a key driver behind gains across most futures contracts.
According to Bernama, the August 2026 CPO futures contract slipped RM3 to RM4,554 per metric ton, while the September 2026 contract climbed RM15 to RM4,643 per ton.
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The rally extended into later delivery months. The October 2026 contract advanced RM19 to RM4,683 per ton, followed by the November 2026 contract, which also gained RM19 to RM4,714 per ton. The December 2026 contract rose RM19 to RM4,743 per ton, while the January 2027 contract added RM17, closing at RM4,770 per ton.
Despite the upward price movement, overall trading activity softened. Daily trading volume declined to 67,530 lots from 77,694 lots in the previous session, while open interest edged down slightly to 302,397 contracts, compared with 302,561 contracts previously, indicating that some market participants trimmed their positions.
In the physical market, the Southern Malaysia August CPO spot price fell RM10 to RM4,550 per metric ton, suggesting a more cautious tone in the cash market relative to the futures market.
Also Read: Malaysian CPO Prices Extend Decline as Weaker Global Vegetable Oils Pressure the Market
Meanwhile, Indonesia’s domestic CPO market moved in the opposite direction. The CPO reference price set by PT Kharisma Pemasaran Bersama Nusantara (KPBN) Inacom declined to IDR 15,750 per kilogram for the Franco Dumai delivery point, down IDR 50/kg, or approximately 0.32%, from the previous day’s IDR 15,800/kg.
The contrasting performance highlights diverging market dynamics between the two countries. While Malaysian palm oil futures continued to draw support from improving export expectations, Indonesia’s domestic market remained under pressure from weaker buying interest in several tenders and ongoing price adjustments by market participants. (P3)
