March 5, 2026

 

EU to receive nearly 20 million tonnes of soybean meal in 2025/26, according to USDA

 

 

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has raised its forecast for 2025/26 soybean meal imports into the European Union (EU) by one million tonnes to total 19.5 million tonnes, moving closer to the previous year's decade high level of 20.6 million tonnes.

 

In its February "Oilseeds: World Markets and Trade' report, the USDA also reported soybean meal imports for the first two months of the marketing year (October-September) totalled 3.9 million tonnes, keeping pace with last year.

 

According to data reported by major soybean meal suppliers – including Brazil, Argentina, India and Ukraine – EU imports through to February were expected to continue at last year's pace.

 

The EU's large volume of soybean meal imports in 2024/25 was on top of strong soybean imports, enabling the highest soybean meal consumption since 2008/09.

 

Increased soybean meal usage rose partly to offset reduced availability of rapeseed and sunflowerseed meals as well as feed wheat, another alternative protein source, due to below average production of those crops in 2024/25.

 

Low global soybean meal prices made soybean meal an attractive alternative for feed producers, according to the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) report.

 

EU import unit values (CIF) averaged below US$400/tonne for the first time since 2019/20, declining from a peak of US$550/tonne in 2022/23.

 

In 2025/26, soybean meal consumption was expected to remain strong, although its share with respect to other oilseed meals had reduced from the previous year.

 

Large EU rapeseed and wheat crops were expected to enable a recovery of their feed usage.

 

However, global soybean meal prices remained low, which was expected to continue through 2025/26 as record harvests in South America enabled further crushing and soybean meal exports.

 

Price competitiveness driven by record global soybean meal production would have a major positive influence on EU imports of soybean meal in the remaining months of the marketing year, the USDA said.

 

- OFI