Iran is a different kind of edible-oil market from the Gulf countries. It is not simply a consumer market dependent on finished imported oil. A large part of the trade revolves around crude and semi-processed oils entering the country for domestic refining, blending and distribution through a network of bulk edible oil importers in Iran.
The sourcing pattern makes that particularly clear. In 2024, Malaysia exported about $364.66 million worth of non-crude palm oil and liquid fractions to Iran which was equivalent to 383.53 million kg. Turkey, meanwhile, supplied about $132.15 million of crude sunflower/safflower oil. It also supplied around $8.51 million of crude soybean oil.
For exporters, that distinction matters. The opportunity is not limited to packaged cooking oil. Iran's buying market includes RBD palm olein, palm oil, crude sunflower oil and crude soybean oil, making the country relevant for suppliers operating at bulk and industrial scale.
The available trade data shows a market heavily tilted towards palm and sunflower oil.
Iran received approximately 383.53 million kg of non-crude palm oil from Malaysia alone In 2024 which was worth $364.66 million. Indonesia followed at a much smaller level, with about 944,000 kg.
Sunflower oil tells a different story. Turkey supplied 130.77 million kg of crude sunflower/safflower oil worth $132.15 million, while Kazakhstan supplied another 5.89 million kg.
Soybean oil is smaller but still commercially relevant. Turkey exported 8.71 million kg of crude soybean oil to Iran in 2024, valued at approximately $8.51 million.
There is also some trade in palm-kernel and babassu oil, although at a much lower level, with Malaysia and Indonesia supplying the Iranian market in 2024.
So the picture is fairly clear: palm oil forms one major pillar of Iran's imported-oil basket, while sunflower oil has a strong regional supply relationship with Turkey.
Iran has domestic oilseed cultivation and an established food-processing sector, but that does not eliminate the need for imported vegetable oils.
The economics are fairly straightforward. Edible oils like Palm oil, sunflower oil and soybean oil come from production belts where large-scale crushing, refining and international trading infrastructure already exist. Importing these oils in bulk allows Iranian refiners and food manufacturers to source raw material according to price, availability and processing requirements rather than relying entirely on domestic oilseed production.
There is also an important geographical factor.
Iran sits between Central Asia, the Caucasus, Turkey, the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean trade routes. That gives edible oil buyers in Iran several possible sourcing corridors. Turkey's position is particularly interesting for sunflower and soybean oil, while Southeast Asian suppliers dominate Iran's palm-oil trade.
This makes Iran less of a single-origin market and more of a multi-corridor sourcing market, where freight, sanctions exposure, payment arrangements and product availability can influence which origin wins a particular transaction.
| HS Code | Product |
|---|---|
| 150710 | Crude soybean oil |
| 151110 | Crude palm oil |
| 151190 | Palm oil other than crude and its fractions |
| 151211 | Crude sunflower/safflower oil |
| 151219 | Sunflower/safflower oil other than crude |
| 151329 | Palm-kernel or babassu oil other than crude |
For exporters, HS-code selection matters because Iran's import requirements and commercial demand can differ considerably between crude oils intended for refining and finished/refined oils.
Iran's edible-oil market has a mix of large industrial buyers and trading companies, and they don't all buy the same kind of oil. Some are linked to palm oil and RBD palm olein, while others are involved in the wider vegetable-oil trade. For exporters, that difference matters because the buyer you approach should match the product you actually have to offer.
Behshahr Industrial Company is one of the more relevant names in Iran's palm-oil trade, with imports linked to products such as RBD palm oil and palm olein. Golnaz Vegetable Oil Company also appears in trade records connected with palm and vegetable oils.
Alongside these industrial buyers, there are trading companies such as Atlas Macan Trading Company, Novin Gostar Meshkat Trading Co. and Jahan Gostar Arsha International Co., which appear in records for RBD palm olein. This gives exporters another route into the market, particularly when looking for buyers involved in bulk sourcing rather than only finished retail products.
| Buyer | Relevant Product/Category | What Makes Them Relevant |
|---|---|---|
| Behshahr Industrial Company | Palm oil, RBD palm olein | Industrial buyer associated with bulk palm-oil imports |
| Golnaz Vegetable Oil Company | Palm oil, vegetable oil | Established name in Iran's vegetable-oil trade |
| Atlas Macan Trading Company | RBD palm olein | Trading company associated with bulk palm-olein sourcing |
| Novin Gostar Meshkat Trading Co. | RBD palm olein | Buyer appearing in RBD palm-olein trade records |
| Jahan Gostar Arsha International Co. | RBD palm olein | Trading company linked with palm-olein imports |
What is interesting about Iran is that palm oil is only one part of the story . The country also sources significant volumes of crude sunflower oil and soybean oil, particularly through regional supply routes. That means an exporter selling crude sunflower oil, soybean oil or palm olein may be looking at very different sets of buyers even within the same Iranian market.
The names above come from shipment-based trade records, so they should be treated as potential buyer leads, not confirmation of an active requirement today . Buying patterns can change with prices, inventories, domestic demand and sourcing arrangements. Before making an offer, exporters should confirm the buyer's current requirement, specification, quantity and delivery terms.
Iran's edible-oil trade is closely tied to its southern maritime gateways.
Shahid Rajaee Port: Shahid Rajaee Port is particularly important. Iranian port data has previously recorded vegetable oil among the essential commodities entering through the port, alongside wheat, sugar, corn and soybeans.
Imam Khomeini Port: Imam Khomeini Port is another important gateway for bulk food commodities. Port infrastructure includes dedicated edible-oil facilities with reported annual handling capacity of around 3 million tonnes, alongside bulk, grain and oil-product terminals.
For suppliers, this southern-port concentration is commercially significant because bulk edible oil is ultimately a logistics business as much as a product business. Freight, discharge facilities, vessel compatibility and inland movement can materially change the landed economics of a shipment.
Iran's import process requires more preparation than simply arranging a vessel and commercial invoice.
Importers need to complete the applicable trade/order registration and import procedures, while food and agricultural commodities can be subject to Iranian standards, inspection and conformity requirements.
One particularly important development for exporters is Iran's 2026 requirement for essential-goods imports to obtain a Certificate of Inspection (COI) at origin before shipment. The requirement was communicated through Iran's Comprehensive Trade System and applies to a range of essential commodities, including crude sunflower oil and crude and RBD vegetable oils.
Food products can also be subject to physical, chemical, microbial, packaging and contaminant-related testing under Iranian standards.
That makes documentation and pre-shipment inspection part of the commercial transaction itself, rather than something to sort out after the cargo has already sailed.
There is another issue exporters cannot afford to overlook: payment and sanctions exposure. Iran's international banking environment can be complicated, so the buyer, seller, financial institutions, shipping route and payment mechanism should all be screened carefully before the transaction is concluded.
For suppliers looking to reach edible oil buyers in Iran , Tradologie can provide a transaction-oriented route rather than stopping at an enquiry or buyer list.
Its live negotiation feature allows suppliers and buyers to negotiate directly, including one-to-one commercial discussions around quantity, specification and price. Payment structures can include methods such as Letter of Credit or advance payment with the balance against proof of dispatch, depending on the terms agreed between the parties.
The platform is designed to support the transaction beyond the initial buyer connection, with end-to-end transactional support through the commercial stages of the deal.
The key takeaway for exporters is simple: Iran is not a one-product edible-oil market. It is a bulk sourcing market where palm oil, sunflower oil and soybean oil move through different supply corridors, and where the right combination of product specification, landed economics, documentation and transaction structure can make the difference between an enquiry and an actual shipment.
Iran's major imported oils include non-crude palm oil, crude sunflower/safflower oil and crude soybean oil.
Malaysia is a major supplier. In 2024, Malaysia exported about $364.66 million of non-crude palm oil and liquid fractions to Iran.
Turkey was a major supplier in 2024, exporting about $132.15 million, equivalent to 130.77 million kg, of crude sunflower/safflower oil to Iran.
Behshahr Industrial Company, Golnaz Vegetable Oil Company, Atlas Macan Trading Company, Novin Gostar Meshkat Trading Co. and Jahan Gostar Arsha International Co. appear in the source's shipment-based buyer data.
Shahid Rajaee Port and Imam Khomeini Port are important southern gateways for bulk food and edible-oil imports. Imam Khomeini also has dedicated edible-oil handling infrastructure.
Exporters should check the applicable HS classification, product specifications, inspection and conformity requirements, documentation, payment mechanism and sanctions exposure before finalising a transaction.
