The Indonesian Palm Oil Association (Gapki) expects that Indonesian exports of crude palm oil (CPO) and palm oil derivatives will increase between 10 and 15 percent to 11.29 million tons in the second half of 2014 from 9.82 million tons in the first half of this year. If achieved, then total CPO exports (and derivatives) from Southeast Asia’s largest economy in 2014 would be 21.11 million tons. Assuming an average CPO price of USD $895 per ton, these exports can be worth USD $18.89 billion in total.

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Demand for Indonesian crude palm oil (CPO) - both global and domestic demand - surged, giving rise to impressive corporate earnings reports of Indonesian palm oil producers in the first quarter of 2014. Combined, net profit of plantation companies that are listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange, rose 116 percent. Indonesia's plantation sector is dominated by production of crude palm oil products and derivatives. Because of increased global demand, the value of Indonesian CPO exports is expected to rise to USD $22-24 billion.

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The Indonesian Palm Oil Association (Gapki) stated that exports of Indonesian crude palm oil (CPO) and its derivatives have increased 13 percent to 1.79 million tons in March 2014 from 1.58 million tons in the previous month. The increase was particularly due to a surge in the price of soybeans since February which makes importers shift their focus to CPO and its derivatives as a substitute for soybeans. Moreover, CPO prices have risen due to speculation about the looming El Niño cycle and declining stockpiles in Indonesia and Malaysia.

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Export of Indonesian crude palm oil (CPO) as well as derived products is expected to reach 22 million tons in 2014. As this year's CPO price is expected to average USD $1000 per ton, significantly higher than the average of USD $850 per ton in 2013, it will translate into higher revenue from the country's palm oil sector. The value of Indonesian CPO export in 2014 is estimated to accelerate to USD $22 billion due to dry weather threatening crops in Indonesia and Malaysia. Indonesia is the world's largest producer and exporter of palm oil.

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The government of Indonesia will lower the export duties on crude palm oil (CPO) from 10.5 percent in August to 9 percent in September if the CPO price continues to stay between USD $800-850 per ton. This lower tax policy is done in order to stimulate export revenues amid persistent weak global commodity prices. The international palm oil market is expected to remain stagnant in August and September. Stockpiles of CPO in Malaysia and Indonesia are projected to rise between September and December 2013.

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The world's two largest crude palm oil (CPO) producers and exporters - Indonesia and Malaysia - signed an agreement on Saturday (21/11) for the establishment of an intergovernmental palm oil council, called the Council of Palm Oil Producer Countries (CPOPC), that aims to control the global CPO supply, stabilize prices, promote sustainable practices in the palm oil industry, and enhance the welfare of oil palm smallholders. Both countries will invest USD $5 million each for the set up of this new council. Its headquarters will be located in Jakarta.

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Indonesia and Malaysia, the world's leading crude palm oil (CPO) producers and exporters, will cooperate for the development of a special economic zone on Indonesian territory to boost the palm oil industry's downstream industry. Private companies will be given incentives to invest in this zone and develop industries to process CPO into olein, a key ingredient for the production of cosmetics and margarine. Furthermore, both countries plan to establish the Council of Palm Oil Producer Countries.

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Crude palm oil (CPO) output in Indonesia, the world’s largest CPO producer and exporter, may decline by 20 percent to 27.5 million tons in 2016 due to the negative impact of the El Nino weather phenomenon. On a positive note, declining CPO output in Indonesia could provide some support for benchmark Malaysian palm prices that fell to a 6.5-year low of 1,836 ringgit last week.

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Although the Indonesian government has already announced that biodiesel subsidies have been raised to IDR 4,000 per liter (from IDR 1,500 per liter in 2014) and bioethanol to IDR 3,000 per liter (from IDR 2,000 last year) - in a move to protect the domestic biofuel industry as production costs exceed market prices amid the low global palm oil prices -, Indonesian biodiesel producers are eager to see the country’s biodiesel price is set based on a different benchmark than the Mean of Platts Singapore (MoPS).

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Malaysia, the world’s second-largest crude palm oil (CPO) producer and exporter, will continue its duty-free export tariff for CPO in January 2015 according to information from the Malaysian customs department. Starting from September 2014 Malaysian authorities have implemented a duty-free CPO export policy in an effort to boost global demand and support international CPO prices (which have fallen nearly 20 percent this year). Indonesia, which has seen duty-free CPO shipments since October 2014, is expected to follow suit.

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Reserves of crude palm oil (CPO) in Indonesia may have declined for a second straight month in October on the back of drought and an increase in exports from Southeast Asia’s largest economy. The delayed impact of drought (which even managed to dry up several rivers in West Kalimantan in October) limited production of CPO in recent weeks. Meanwhile, exports have increased after Indonesia and Malaysia - the world’s two top palm oil producers - scrapped export taxes to boost demand for this commodity.

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The recovery in global palm oil prices that seemed to have started last spring, has ended. A few months ago, optimism had colored expectations of many analysts as palm oil prices went up about 10 percent between early May and mid-June, after tumbling 30 percent in 2012 (causing that palm oil was one of the worst performing commodities in terms of price growth last year). However, the palm oil price increase earlier this year was merely the result of falling production rates in Indonesia and Malaysia, the world's largest palm oil producers.

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The price of crude palm oil (CPO), which has been under downward pressure for a long time as global turmoil lingers on, started to rebound due to falling stockpiles in Indonesia and Malaysia. Reserves of the commodity fell because of weather conditions and because of an increase in demand ahead of the Islamic fasting month (Ramadhan). The price of crude palm oil is expected to hit the USD $900 per ton mark in late 2013, up from USD $828-865 per ton in May and June. This price recovery is expected to continue.

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