The b2b edible oil importers in the United States buys edible oils from almost every major producing region in the world. At the same time, the USA is also a major producer of oilseeds itself, particularly soybeans and canola oil varieties. That makes the U.S. edible-oil market a little different from markets where imports simply fill a domestic supply gap.
The picture becomes more interesting if you look at the import figures, . Palm oil comes largely from Southeast Asia, olive oil from countries such as Italy, Spain and Tunisia, coconut oil from the Philippines and other tropical producers, while Canada has a very strong position in the U.S. canola market. India also has a sizable presence in certain vegetable-oil categories.
In 2024, the United States imported around $1.88 billion worth of palm oil under HS 1511, with Indonesia accounting for the overwhelming share. Virgin olive oil imports under HS 150910 were worth approximately $2.58 billion during the same year.
There is another category that deserves attention from Indian suppliers. U.S. imports under HS 1515, covering fixed vegetable oils and fats not chemically modified, reached around $1.13 billion and 277.4 million kg in 2024. India supplied approximately $146.99 million and 73.83 million kg, making it the second-largest supplier in this category.
So, if you are looking to export edible oil in bulk to the USA, there is certainly a market to work with. But it is not one market in the conventional sense. Palm oil, olive oil, coconut oil, sunflower oil and specialty vegetable oils each have their own buyers and supply chains.
That is worth understanding before approaching the top edible oil importers in the USA.
It is worth noting that the United States produces large quantities of soybean, canola, sunflower and other oilseeds. But it still imports edible oil when overseas suppliers offer advantages in easy availability, big scale, competitive price, and specifications . This is especially true for oils that are produced more extensively in other regions. Imports support U.S. food manufacturing, refining, blending and specialty-oil markets.
Anyone researching edible oil importers in the United States should begin with the product's HS code. There is no single classification for edible oil, and looking at one heading can give a very incomplete picture of the market.
| HS Code | Product Category | Relevance to the U.S. Market |
|---|---|---|
| 1507 | Soybean oil and fractions | Large domestic industry, with imports serving particular markets and requirements. |
| 1508 | Groundnut/peanut oil | Smaller specialty segment. |
| 1509 | Olive oil and fractions | Major import category, particularly in premium and retail markets. |
| 1510 | Other olive oils and fractions | Additional segment within the olive-oil trade. |
| 1511 | Palm oil and fractions | One of the country's largest imported vegetable-oil categories. |
| 1512 | Sunflower, safflower and cottonseed oil | Established import market; U.S. imports were about $327.05 million in 2024. |
| 1513 | Coconut, palm-kernel and babassu oils | Important for food manufacturing and specialty applications. |
| 1514 | Rapeseed, colza and mustard oil | Very large market, particularly because of Canadian supply. |
| 1515 | Other fixed vegetable oils and fractions | Important category for specialty oils; imports were around $1.13 billion in 2024. |
| 1516 | Hydrogenated/interesterified fats and oils | Mainly relevant to food manufacturing and specialty fats. |
| 1517 | Margarine and edible mixtures of fats/oils | Relevant to prepared edible-fat products and food processing. |
The differences between these categories are substantial.
U.S. imports under HS 1512 were approximately $327.05 million and 217.75 million kg in 2024. Under HS 1515, imports were around $1.13 billion, with India contributing almost $147 million.
For Indian exporters, that second figure is particularly interesting. It shows that Indian vegetable oils already have a sizable foothold in the American market. The opportunity may therefore be easier to find in a particular oil or specialty segment than in the broad phrase “edible oil.”
The exact classification still needs to be checked product by product, especially where oils are refined, fractionated, blended or chemically modified.
There are thousands of companies involved in the American edible-oil trade. A single ranking of the top edible oil importers in the USA would be difficult to defend because the largest buyer of olive oil may have very little connection with the bulk palm-oil market.
A practical starting point is to look at companies whose businesses are closely connected with particular edible-oil segments.
Companies relevant to different parts of the market include Adams Vegetable Oil, Gemsa Enterprises LLC, Riverina Natural Oils LLC, Bridgewell Agribusiness, Certified Origins Inc., Deoleo USA Inc., Filippo Berio USA Ltd. and Fuji Vegetable Oil Inc.
They represent very different parts of the market.
Adams Vegetable Oil
Adams Vegetable Oil, part of the Adams Group, is a long-established supplier of bulk specialty vegetable oils to the food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. The company offers oils including canola, coconut, palm, safflower, soybean and several sunflower-oil varieties, with options such as organic, non-GMO and expeller-pressed products.
Its oils are available in bulk tankers, railcars, drums, IBCs and totes, making the company particularly relevant to suppliers working in bulk rather than finished retail bottles.
For an exporter, the distinction is useful. A company operating in bulk specialty oils is a very different prospect from a supermarket buyer looking for finished retail bottles.
Gemsa Enterprises LLC
Gemsa Enterprises LLC is active in the processing and marketing of edible specialty fats and oils in the United States. The company blends and packs imported fats and oils at its West Coast and East Coast facilities and supplies food manufacturers, food service businesses and other customers.
Its product focus includes specialty oils such as olive and avocado oil, along with organic and non-GMO products. Gemsa also develops blends based on customer requirements, which gives it a different buying profile from a conventional commodity-oil distributor.
For suppliers with differentiated products, that can be worth exploring.
Riverina Natural Oils LLC
Riverina Natural Oils LLC is closely associated with the canola-oil business. The company is a vertically integrated bulk canola-oil supplier based in Australia's Riverina region and supplies 100% Australian canola oil to domestic and global markets.
Its U.S. business is particularly relevant to the North American canola market, with the company describing its product as 100% Australian-grown non-GMO canola oil supplied directly to the United States and Canada.
It also gives some idea of the competition Indian suppliers face. In several oil categories, edible oil buyers in the USA already have long-standing relationships with suppliers from Canada, Australia and other major producing countries.
Bridgewell Agribusiness
Bridgewell Agribusiness is particularly relevant to coconut-oil and specialty-oil suppliers.
The company sources, packages and distributes edible oils across conventional, organic and non-GMO categories. Its portfolio includes coconut, canola, olive, peanut, rice bran, safflower, soybean and sunflower oils, along with custom oil blends and bulk oil services.
That makes it potentially relevant to suppliers selling bulk oil that will later be processed, blended or packed in the United States.
Certified Origins Inc.
Certified Origins Inc. is firmly in the olive-oil side of the American market.
The company works with extra virgin olive oil, single-origin oils, blends and private-label products. It also offers flexible packaging options including totes and flexitanks, alongside traceability and quality-control systems.
For an exporter of olive oil, this is a more relevant prospect than it would be for a supplier of bulk sunflower or palm oil. The business is tied closely to the private-label and branded side of the market.
Deoleo USA Inc.
Deoleo USA Inc. is another major name in the U.S. olive-oil trade. Deoleo operates established olive-oil brands including Bertolli, Carapelli and Carbonell, giving the group a strong position in the branded retail market.
An exporter approaching a company like this would therefore be entering a mature branded category. Product consistency, origin and quality become important parts of the conversation, alongside price.
Filippo Berio USA Ltd.
Filippo Berio USA Ltd. is also an established participant in the American olive-oil market.
Its product range includes extra virgin olive oil, olive oil and specialty variants, while the company's U.S. site identifies Filippo Berio USA, Ltd. as the importer of Filippo Berio olive oil and other products bearing the brand name.
This makes it relevant mainly to exporters working in olive oil and consumer-oriented products.
Fuji Vegetable Oil Inc.
Fuji Vegetable Oil Inc. represents a more industrial part of the market.
The company is a U.S. supplier of specialty fats and oils for the food industry. Its Savannah refinery has the capacity to hydrogenate, interesterify, blend, bleach and deodorize vegetable oils, while its product portfolio includes palm, palm-kernel, coconut, high-oleic sunflower and other oils.
This might be the kind of buyer that could make sense for a bulk supplier whose oil is going into further processing rather than directly onto a retail shelf.
Quick Buyer Reference
| U.S. Edible Oil Importer / Buyer | Relevant Product Area | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Adams Vegetable Oil | Sunflower and specialty vegetable oils | Active in bulk specialty vegetable oils. |
| Gemsa Enterprises LLC | Specialty fats, olive, avocado and other oils | Focuses on specialty edible fats and oils. |
| Riverina Natural Oils LLC | Canola oil | Established bulk canola-oil supplier serving North American markets. |
| Bridgewell Agribusiness | Coconut and specialty edible oils | Works with conventional, organic and non-GMO oils. |
| Certified Origins Inc. | Olive oil | Strong private-label and olive-oil business. |
| Deoleo USA Inc. | Olive oil | Major branded olive-oil operation. |
| Filippo Berio USA Ltd. | Olive oil | Established consumer olive-oil business. |
| Fuji Vegetable Oil Inc. | Palm, palm-kernel and specialty oils | Industrial refining and blending applications. |
The table is useful for narrowing the search, but it should not replace buyer research.
If you are selling bulk palm oil, there is little value in approaching an olive-oil brand.
Likewise, a supplier of organic coconut oil should not assume that every large vegetable-oil processor is a suitable prospect.
The U.S. market is simply too large for that kind of blanket approach.
The United States has a long list of ports handling vegetable oils. The choice usually comes down to where the buyer is located, how the oil is being shipped and what kind of storage or processing facility will receive it.
Port of New Orleans
New Orleans is an important gateway for bulk liquid cargoes and has a strong connection with agricultural commodities.
Vegetable-oil shipment data places New Orleans among the leading U.S. unloading points for the product. Its Gulf Coast location also gives cargo access to inland markets through road, rail and waterway networks.
For large bulk consignments going toward processors in the central or southern United States, New Orleans can therefore be a practical option.
Port Houston
Houston is another major Gulf Coast gateway.
The port's industrial base, storage facilities and connections into Texas and the southern United States make it relevant for vegetable oils and food ingredients.
If the buyer's plant or warehouse is located in Texas, shipping to Houston can sometimes make more sense than choosing a port simply because the ocean freight happens to be lower.
New York/Newark
New York/Newark serves the northeastern U.S. market and is particularly useful for containerised cargo.
Vegetable-oil shipment data places the New York/Newark area among the more active U.S. gateways. Packaged oils, specialty products and containerised shipments destined for buyers in the Northeast can all make use of this route.
Savannah
Savannah has become an important gateway for the Southeast and also appears in edible-oil shipment records.
Fuji Vegetable Oil, for example, has a major refinery in Savannah where palm and other vegetable oils are processed and blended.
For suppliers targeting processors in the southeastern United States, the port is worth considering.
Choosing the Right Port
Before fixing the port, an exporter should know where the cargo is ultimately going.
A few things need to be checked:
Sometimes the difference between two ports looks small on the ocean-freight quotation and becomes significant once the cargo starts moving inland.
The United States is an attractive market, but it is not a market where an exporter should ship first and sort out the paperwork later.
1. Confirm Classification and FDA Requirements
Start with the product and establish the applicable U.S. HTS classification. Imported food has to meet U.S. food-safety requirements, and foreign facilities generally need to be registered with FDA.
2. Understand FSVP and Prior Notice
The Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP) requires the U.S. importer to verify its foreign suppliers. FDA also requires prior notice for food imported into the United States, subject to applicable exemptions.
3. Agree on the Specification
A U.S. buyer may ask for parameters such as free fatty acids, moisture and impurities, peroxide value, iodine value, pesticide residues, heavy metals and shelf life. A technical specification sheet and certificate of analysis should ideally accompany the quotation.
4. Get the Logistics and Landed Cost Right
Bulk edible oil can arrive in drums, IBC totes, flexitanks, tank containers or bulk tankers. The final calculation can include:
FOB price + ocean freight + insurance + applicable duty/tariff + port charges + customs clearance + inland freight + storage/handling
5. Be Ready for Repeat Supply
Before approaching a buyer, it is useful to have clear answers on production capacity, lead time, minimum order quantity, shipment frequency, testing capability, certifications and ability to maintain the same specification from one shipment to the next.
The first shipment gets the relationship started. Consistent shipments are what turn it into business.
Finding the name of American edible oil importers is relatively easy. Finding a buyer who actually needs your particular oil, in your particular quantity and specification, is where the work begins.
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In 2024, the U.S. imported around $1.88 billion of palm oil, $2.58 billion of virgin olive oil, and approximately $1.13 billion under HS 1515.
The U.S. has a large domestic oilseed and refining industry, but imports oils based on factors such as origin, price, availability, specifications, crop type and processing requirements.
Major categories include palm, olive, coconut, sunflower, soybean, canola, peanut and specialty vegetable oils. Each category has different buyers and supply chains.
The blog highlights companies including Adams Vegetable Oil, Gemsa Enterprises LLC, Riverina Natural Oils LLC, Bridgewell Agribusiness, Certified Origins Inc., Deoleo USA Inc., Filippo Berio USA Ltd. and Fuji Vegetable Oil Inc.
Important categories include HS 1507 for soybean oil, 1509 for olive oil, 1511 for palm oil, 1512 for sunflower/safflower/cottonseed oil, 1513 for coconut and palm-kernel oils, 1514 for rapeseed/colza/mustard oil and 1515 for other fixed vegetable oils.
Major gateways highlighted in the blog include New Orleans, Houston, New York/Newark and Savannah. The right port depends on the buyer's location, storage facilities, transportation network and total landed cost.
