Russia exports record 5,500 tonnes of soybean oil to South Korea in 2025

MOSCOW. Jan 16 (Interfax) - Russia boosted exports of soybean oil to South Korea 3.2-fold year-on-year to 5,500 tonnes in 2025 from 1,700 tonnes in 2024, setting an all-time high figure for supplies that began to this market in 2017, South Korea's customs service said.

The value of shipments increased to $6.4 million from $1.8 million in 2024.

However, Russia, which has only recently begun actively developing soybean and soybean oil production, is still far behind the major players on the South Korean market. Specifically, Vietnam exported 167,800 tonnes of soybean oil to the country worth $195.7 million in 2025, the United States shipped 84,700 tonnes worth $98.3 million, and China delivered 83,500 tonnes worth $98.6 million.

Preliminary data from Russia's Federal State Statistics Service (Rosstat) indicate that the country's soybean harvest totaled a record 8.96 million tonnes in 2025 versus 7.06 million tonnes in 2024. Moreover, farmers in European Russia, with large processing facilities having been commissioned in recent years, have also begun actively cultivating the crop in addition to the Far East.