Top Edible Oil Importers in Iran: B2B Buyers & Trading Companies

Iran has a very different edible-oil market from a country such as Spain or Malaysia. Domestic production exists, but imported oil remains important to the country's refining and food-processing industry. Palm oil has traditionally been a major part of that trade, while sunflower and soybean oil also move into the country through different supply routes.

The sourcing map is interesting. Malaysia has been a major supplier of palm-based oils, while Turkey has become an important route for sunflower and soybean oil. Kazakhstan also appears in recent sunflower-oil shipments. In 2024, reported trade flows to Iran included more than 384 million kg of palm oil and its fractions , about 137 million kg of crude sunflower/safflower oil , and nearly 9 million kg of soybean oil.

That gives suppliers looking for edible oil importers in Iran a market where origin, logistics and the type of oil can make a noticeable difference.

How Much Edible Oil Does Iran Import?

The 2024 trade records show three particularly visible streams:

Figures are based on 2024 supplier-reported exports to Iran in the respective HS categories, so they should be read as reported trade flows rather than a complete customs total for every possible supplier.

Palm oil is clearly the biggest of these streams. Malaysia alone reported 383.53 million kg of HS 151190 exports to Iran in 2024, worth about $364.66 million.

Sunflower oil has a different story. Turkey supplied 130.77 million kg of crude sunflower/safflower oil, with another 5.89 million kg coming from Kazakhstan.

There are also signs of a sizeable regional trade in crude oils. Recent shipment records show Turkish sunflower oil and soybean oil moving into Iran, while Kazakhstan has supplied unrefined sunflower oil.

Why Does Iran Import Edible Oil?

Iran has its own oilseed-processing and refining industry, so imported oil is not simply filling a shelf-level shortage.

A lot of the business happens further up the chain. Crude oil arrives, gets refined or processed, and then moves into household cooking oils, frying oils, shortening, margarine and food manufacturing.

That is also why the buyer list in Iran looks different from a simple list of cooking-oil distributors.

Behshahr Industrial Company is one of the country's established edible-oil manufacturers. The company produces vegetable oils, fats and shortening, with brands including Ladan, Bahar and Nastaran.

Kourosh Investment Group has several brands operating in the edible-oil business, including Oila, which produces liquid and solid edible oils.

There is also a substantial industrial operation around Iran's southern ports. Afra Oil's Navid Khalij Fars operation at Imam Khomeini Port, for example, works with soybean, sunflower and canola oilseeds and has facilities for extraction, refining, hydrogenation, fractionation and degumming.

So the opportunity for an overseas supplier is not necessarily a finished retail product. Crude soybean oil, sunflower oil, palm-based products and other bulk oils can all enter different parts of Iran's processing chain.

Major Edible Oil HS Codes Relevant to Iran

Top Edible Oil Importers in Iran

The names worth watching are mostly companies that sit somewhere inside Iran's refining, manufacturing or distribution network.

Behshahr Industrial Company is one of the prominent names. Golnaz Vegetable Oil Company also appears among recent palm-oil and vegetable-cooking-oil buyer records.

Then there are companies with a broader food-industry presence. Margarine Company manufactures edible oils, margarine, vegetable fats, shortening and frying oils, while Kourosh Investment Group operates several edible-oil brands.

The important thing here is not to treat every company in an importer database as an active buyer. Some have bought imported oil before, some manufacture edible oils themselves, and some may source through another trading company. For a supplier, the real question is what that company is looking to buy now.

Major Ports Handling Edible Oil Imports in Iran

Imam Khomeini Port: This is one of the most important locations in Iran's edible-oil supply chain. The port area has oil-processing and storage infrastructure, and Afra's Navid Khalij Fars operation is located here with facilities for oil extraction and refining.

Shahid Rajaee Port: Located at Bandar Abbas, this is a major gateway for Iran's international cargo. Bulk agricultural commodities and essential goods move through the port before travelling inland to processors and industrial users.

Amirabad Port: Sitting on the Caspian Sea, Amirabad gives northern Iran another route for imported agricultural commodities and edible oils, particularly for cargo moving through the Caspian and neighbouring markets.

Noshahr Port: Noshahr also serves the Caspian-side trade and can be relevant for shipments destined for northern Iranian markets.

For edible oil, southern ports remain particularly important because much of the refining and storage infrastructure is concentrated around the Persian Gulf. The location of the buyer's plant, however, can ultimately decide which gateway makes commercial sense.

Ground Rules for Supplying Edible Oil to Iran

Iran has its own standards and food-control requirements, so exporters need to check the applicable rules for the exact oil and form being shipped. The National Standards Organization maintains mandatory-standard requirements for imported goods, while food products can also be subject to testing and inspection.

Food Safety: Imported food products can be subject to physical, chemical, microbiological, packaging and contaminant testing. Bulk agricultural imports can also require inspection documentation at origin.

Food Standards: Requirements differ between crude and refined oils. Iran's import-standard documentation, for example, distinguishes refined edible oils and sets technical requirements for them.

Labelling: Retail-packed oils need to comply with Iran's food-labelling requirements. Nutritional traffic-light labelling has also been part of Iran's food-labelling system for imported and domestic processed foods.

Inspection: Depending on the product, inspection and conformity documentation can form part of the import process. This is particularly relevant for bulk cargo, where the product specification and inspection arrangements should be settled before loading.

Documentation: The exact paperwork depends on the oil, origin, packaging and intended use. The Iranian importer should confirm the current import requirements before the shipment is dispatched.

With Iran, the commercial side deserves just as much attention as the product specification. The buyer, payment structure, shipping route and documentation should all be agreed before the cargo moves.

Export Edible Oil in Bulk to Iran Through Tradologie

For suppliers looking for edible oil buyers in Iran , Tradologie provides a direct setting for buyer-seller negotiations.

Its live negotiation feature allows both sides to discuss quantity, specification and price directly. Depending on the terms agreed between the parties, payment can include Letter of Credit or advance payment with the balance against proof of dispatch.

Tradologie also provides end-to-end transactional support, helping the parties move from the commercial discussion towards execution.