The sunflower oil price per ton has had a rough couple of years, and 2026 hasn’t been any calmer. Buyers ask us the same thing every week: what should I be paying right now, and why is my last quote so different from this one? We’re DThai Company Limited. We sell refined, crude, high oleic and organic sunflower oil from Thailand, in flexitanks, drums and bottles, to buyers worldwide. This guide explains where the market is, what goes into a quote, and how to compare offers without getting caught out.
Table of Contents
Sunflower Oil Price Per Ton: Where the Market Is in 2026
Sunflower oil is priced off the Black Sea. Ukraine and Russia still produce and export most of the world’s sunflower oil, so the FOB price at their ports is the number everyone else follows, including us.
Early in 2026 the market hit record territory. In January, Black Sea sunflower oil was quoted around $1,400 per ton FOB after a weak seed harvest and thin stocks. Through the spring and into mid-year it eased back, and by around the middle of 2026 the indicative ranges looked roughly like this:
| Grade (bulk, FOB basis) | Indicative range, mid-2026 |
|---|---|
| Crude sunflower oil | About USD 950 to 1,050 per ton |
| Refined sunflower oil (RBD or RBDW) | About USD 1,100 to 1,250 per ton |
| Refined high oleic sunflower oil | About USD 1,300 to 1,450 per ton |
| Packed oil (bottles, jerry cans, drums) | Bulk price plus roughly USD 100 to 300 per ton for packing |
Treat that table as a guide, not a quote. The sunflower oil price per ton can move $50 or more in a couple of weeks, and it did several times this year. Ask us for today’s figure on your terms before you budget anything.
Why the Price Swings So Much
Most of the world’s sunflower oil comes from a small corner of the map. That’s the root of the volatility. When one region supplies the bulk of exports, anything that touches that region shows up in the sunflower oil price per ton almost straight away.
A few things moved prices in the last year:
- A smaller seed crop in the 2025 season, which left mills short of seed
- Farmers holding back seed, waiting for better prices
- Low oil stocks in the main exporting countries
- Lower crushing in the autumn months, both around the Black Sea and in the EU
- War risk, insurance and port access around the Black Sea
- The price of competing oils, mainly palm and soybean
When palm or soybean oil gets cheaper, some buyers switch, and the sunflower oil price per ton has to come down to keep them. When sunflower is scarce, it trades at a big premium over the others. In late 2025 that premium was over $200 per ton above the other major oils.
What Goes Into a Sunflower Oil Price Per Ton
Here’s how a quote is built, layer by layer. If two quotes don’t match, the difference is in one of these rows.
| Layer | What it covers | Who pays |
|---|---|---|
| Origin oil price | Crude or refined oil at the origin port | Market |
| Refining | Degumming, neutralizing, bleaching, deodorizing, winterizing | Seller |
| Packing | Flexitank, drums, jerry cans or bottles | Seller |
| Inland transport and loading | Plant to port, stuffing containers | Seller (FOB) |
| Inspection and lab tests | Certificate of analysis, surveyor at loading | Agreed in contract |
| Ocean freight | Thailand to your port | Seller (CFR/CIF) or buyer (FOB) |
| Insurance | Cargo cover | Seller (CIF) or buyer |
| Duties and port costs | Import duty, clearing, trucking | Buyer |
When we quote a sunflower oil price per ton, we tell you which of these are included. If a quote you’ve received doesn’t, ask.
Crude vs Refined vs High Oleic
Grade makes a bigger difference to the sunflower oil price per ton than most new buyers expect.
Crude sunflower oil is the cheapest per ton. It’s oil straight from pressing or extraction, still carrying gums, free fatty acids, waxes and color. It isn’t fit to eat until it’s refined. Refineries and some industrial users buy it. Our guide on refined vs crude sunflower oil explains the difference properly.
Refined sunflower oil is the everyday grade. It’s refined, bleached and deodorized, sometimes winterized too, so it stays clear in cold weather. Bottlers, restaurants and food factories buy this.
High oleic sunflower oil comes from special seed varieties. It’s much more stable when heated, so it lasts longer in a fryer and on the shelf. It costs more. If that’s the grade you’re pricing, read our guide on the high oleic sunflower oil price per ton.
Organic sunflower oil sits at the top of the range, because certified organic seed is limited and the paperwork is heavier. See our guide on how to check an organic sunflower oil supplier.
Our Refined Sunflower Oil Specifications
This is our standard refined grade, the one most buyers mean when they ask for a sunflower oil price per ton.
| Parameter | Refined sunflower oil |
|---|---|
| Type | Refined, bleached and deodorized (RBD) |
| Free fatty acid (FFA) | 0.1% max |
| Moisture and impurities | 0.1% max |
| Color (Lovibond 5.25 inch cell) | 2.0 to 3.0 Red max |
| Peroxide value | 2.0 meq O2/kg max |
| Smoke point | About 230°C |
| Shelf life | 12 months from production, sealed and stored cool |
| Packing | 1L, 2L and 5L bottles, 20L jerry cans, 200L drums, flexitank or ISO tank |
| Origin | Processed in Thailand |
Every batch comes with a certificate of analysis. You can see the product on our refined sunflower oil for sale page. We also sell crude, deodorized, high oleic and organic grades.
For the international reference standard on sunflower oil composition, the Codex standards for fats and oils are worth a look. Most import rules around the world are built on them.
How Packing Changes the Sunflower Oil Price Per Ton
Bulk oil and bottled oil are almost different products when it comes to price.
| Packing | How it compares | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Flexitank in a 20ft container | Lowest cost per ton | Bottlers and factories with tanks |
| ISO tank | Close to flexitank | Buyers who need a reusable tank |
| 200L steel drums | Higher | Food factories without bulk tanks |
| 20L jerry cans | Higher again | Restaurants, caterers, small factories |
| 5L bottles | Higher | Wholesalers, cash and carry, food service |
| 1L and 2L bottles | Highest per ton | Supermarkets and retail |
A flexitank holds about 22 tons in a 20ft container, so the packing cost is spread over a lot of oil. Bottles need PET, caps, labels, cartons and filling, and fewer tons fit in a container. That’s why a bottled sunflower oil price per ton can be a few hundred dollars above bulk.
If you’re buying bulk, our guide to bulk sunflower oil in flexitank covers capacity and loading. If you want bottles, see our guide on sunflower oil 5 liter wholesale.
FOB, CFR or CIF
Always check the Incoterm before you compare two offers. An FOB sunflower oil price per ton leaves out freight and insurance. A CIF price includes both. Comparing one with the other makes the FOB offer look cheaper than it really is.
For most first-time buyers we quote CFR or CIF to your port, so you see one landed figure. Our guide to FOB vs CIF was written for rice, but the logic is the same for oil.
Eight Things That Move the Sunflower Oil Price Per Ton
1. The Black Sea seed harvest
The biggest single factor in the sunflower oil price per ton. A good harvest in Ukraine and Russia brings prices down. A poor one pushes them up fast.
2. Farmer selling
Even with a good crop, farmers can hold seed back if they expect higher prices. Less seed reaching mills means less oil on the market.
3. Crushing rates
Mills slow down when margins are thin or seed is scarce. Lower crushing means less oil, and the sunflower oil price per ton rises.
4. Palm and soybean oil
Buyers switch between oils. When palm oil is cheap, sunflower has to compete. Our comparison of sunflower oil vs palm oil explains when each one makes sense.
5. Shipping risk
Insurance, port access and freight around the Black Sea add cost and uncertainty, especially in a conflict.
6. Export duties and quotas
Producing countries sometimes change export duties on oil and seed. That changes supply overnight.
7. Currency
Most oil is traded in US dollars. Changes in the dollar against the euro, ruble, hryvnia or baht feed into prices.
8. Your packing, volume and destination
A full flexitank on a regular contract is priced very differently from a single mixed container of bottles going to a distant port.
Sunflower Oil Price Per Ton by Destination
Freight is the biggest swing factor after the oil itself. The same FOB price becomes a very different landed number depending on where the container is going.
Southeast and East Asia
Short voyages and frequent sailings keep freight low. Buyers in this region usually see the smallest gap between the FOB and landed sunflower oil price per ton.
South Asia
India is one of the biggest sunflower oil importers in the world, and it mostly buys bulk from the Black Sea. Buyers in the region who want packed oil, or smaller lots, often find a Thai supplier easier to work with.
Middle East
Freight is moderate, but routes have been disrupted for much of 2026 by shipping problems around the Strait of Hormuz. That has added time and cost on some lanes. We check routing with the shipping line before we quote, so the figure you get reflects what’s actually possible.
Africa
East African ports are a reasonable run from Thailand. West Africa usually means a longer voyage and transshipment, which adds freight. Many African buyers prefer 5L bottles and 20L jerry cans, so packing also pushes the landed price up.
Europe and the Americas
Long voyages and higher freight. Buyers here usually buy from the Black Sea or local refiners for bulk, and look to us for specific packs, mixed containers or combined orders with rice and sugar.
How to Get a Better Sunflower Oil Price Per Ton
You can’t change the market. You can change how you buy. These habits lower the price our customers actually pay:
- Pick the right grade. Don’t pay for high oleic if regular refined oil does the job.
- Pick the right pack. 5L bottles are cheaper per liter than 1L. Flexitank is cheaper than drums.
- Fill the container. A full container spreads freight over more oil.
- Buy regularly. A monthly program gets better terms than a one-off order.
- Combine products. If you also buy rice or sugar from Thailand, combining orders with one supplier saves time and sometimes freight.
- Give us a clear spec. A vague request gets a padded quote. A clear one gets a sharp sunflower oil price per ton.
Storage After Delivery
Oil that goes rancid in your warehouse is the most expensive oil you’ll ever buy. A few simple rules protect what you paid for:
- Keep oil out of direct sun and away from heat.
- Store it at a steady, cool temperature.
- Keep drums and jerry cans sealed until you use them.
- Use stock in the order it arrived.
- Don’t keep flexitank oil in the bag for weeks after arrival. Discharge it into clean tanks.
Stored properly, refined sunflower oil keeps its quality for around 12 months from production. High oleic lasts longer. Poor storage cuts that short, and a lower sunflower oil price per ton won’t make up for a batch you can’t sell.
A Worked Example
These numbers are only an example, to show how a quote fits together.
Say refined sunflower oil is trading at $1,150 per ton on the bulk market. You want it in 5-liter bottles, 20ft containers, CIF to a port in East Africa or the Middle East.
Start with the bulk oil price. Add the cost of bottles, caps, labels, cartons and filling. Add inland transport and loading. Then add freight and insurance to your port. Your landed sunflower oil price per ton ends up as the bulk price, plus packing, plus freight and insurance. Your own import duty and port costs come after that.
When we quote, we break it down the same way, so you can see what you’re paying for and where you might save. Switching from 1L to 5L bottles, for example, often cuts the packed price noticeably.
How to Read a Sunflower Oil Quote
A real offer should show:
- Grade and full specification, including FFA, peroxide value and color
- Packing type and size
- Quantity per container and number of containers
- Incoterm and port
- Shipment period
- Payment terms
- How long the price is valid
- Inspection and documents included
If any of these are missing, the sunflower oil price per ton on that page doesn’t mean much yet. Ask for the rest before comparing.
Why Two Suppliers Quote Different Prices
Buyers often send us two or three offers and ask why they don’t match. Usually the answer is one of these:
- One quote is FOB and another is CIF.
- One is for crude or semi-refined oil, the other is fully refined and winterized.
- The packing is different, such as flexitank against drums, or 1L against 5L bottles.
- One supplier included inspection and a certificate of analysis, the other didn’t.
- The quotes were made on different days, and the market moved in between.
- One quote is simply not real.
Line them up on the same grade, pack, Incoterm and date, and most of the gap disappears. Whatever’s left is the real difference in the sunflower oil price per ton between those suppliers. That’s the number worth negotiating over.
Red Flags in Sunflower Oil Offers
Fake offers aren’t just a sugar problem. Sunflower oil gets them too. Watch for:
- A price far below the Black Sea market for refined oil
- Huge monthly volumes from a company you can’t verify
- Requests for fees or “proof of product” payments before a contract
- No samples and no certificate of analysis
- Refusal to allow independent inspection at loading
The same rules apply as with sugar. Our guide to the ICUMSA 45 sugar scam describes the pattern, and nearly all of it applies to cooking oil offers too.
When Is the Best Time to Buy?
Nobody calls the bottom of this market reliably. A few patterns help, though.
The new sunflower crop is harvested around the Black Sea in late summer and autumn. Once the harvest is known, the market usually settles. Buyers who wait for a clear harvest picture tend to avoid the worst surprises.
Many of our regular customers don’t try to time the sunflower oil price per ton at all. They book a fixed volume every month through a supply contract, which gives them an average price and steady stock.
Who Buys Sunflower Oil From Us
Different buyers look at the price in different ways:
- Bottlers and private label brands want steady quality and a fair bulk price.
- Food factories making snacks, sauces and bakery goods care about FFA, peroxide value and shelf life.
- Restaurants and caterers buy 5L bottles or 20L jerry cans and care about fry life.
- Wholesalers buy mixed containers of bottles and push hardest on price per carton.
Each one gets a different sunflower oil price per ton from us, because each one needs a different grade, pack and volume.
Documents With Every Shipment
- Commercial invoice and packing list
- Bill of lading
- Certificate of origin
- Certificate of analysis for the batch
- Health certificate where required
- Halal certificate on request
- Insurance certificate on CIF terms
Our guide on choosing a sunflower oil supplier in Thailand covers documents and vetting in more detail.
Minimum Order, Payment and Lead Time
Our minimum order is one 20ft container. That’s about 22 tons in a flexitank, or a full load of drums, jerry cans or bottles.
For a first order, most buyers pay by letter of credit at sight. Our guide on the letter of credit for rice import explains how LCs work, and the process is the same for oil. Lead time is usually two to four weeks for bulk and a little longer for bottled oil with your own labels.
We ship from Thailand to Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe, the Americas and Oceania. See our shipping page for details, and browse all grades on our sunflower oil for sale page.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the sunflower oil price per ton today?
It changes weekly with the Black Sea market. Around mid-2026, refined sunflower oil was roughly $1,100 to $1,250 per ton FOB in bulk. Contact us for today’s sunflower oil price per ton on your terms.
Why is bottled oil so much more expensive?
Packing. Bottles, caps, labels, cartons and filling add cost, and fewer tons fit in a container than with a flexitank.
Is crude sunflower oil cheaper?
Yes, crude has the lowest sunflower oil price per ton, but it has to be refined before it can be eaten. It only makes sense if you own a refinery.
What’s the minimum order?
One 20ft container.
Do you supply sunflower oil with halal certification?
Yes, on request. Tell us at the quote stage.
How long is a quote valid?
Usually a few days. The market moves too fast to hold a price for weeks.
Where can I see the long-term price trend?
The World Bank’s commodity price data tracks sunflower oil alongside other vegetable oils every month.
The sunflower oil price per ton you end up paying depends on the market, the grade and the way you buy. We can’t change the first. We can help with the other two. Send us your grade, packing, volume and port, and we’ll send a clear quote with the specs for the batch.