EUDR · Oil palm
EUDR and oil palm: what importers must collect
Palm oil and its derivatives — common as an ingredient far from the visible label.
Oil palm · Regulation (EU) 2023/1115
Oil palm is one of the seven commodities covered by the EU Deforestation Regulation, so oil palm — and the products derived from it — cannot enter the EU market unless it is deforestation-free (after 31 December 2020), legally produced, and covered by a Due Diligence Statement.
Oil palm products in scope (illustrative)
- Palm oil (crude & refined)
- Palm kernel oil
- Palm-oil derivatives
- Oleochemicals (per Annex I)
Is oil palm covered by the EUDR?
Yes. Oil palm is on the list of seven commodities, alongside cattle, cocoa, coffee, oil palm, rubber, soya, and wood. Scope extends to the derived products in Annex I — so a finished good containing oil palm can be in scope too. If you are unsure about a specific product, the coverage checker resolves it, and the exact boundary is the HS code in Annex I.
What oil palm importers have to collect
The same three things every covered commodity needs: plot geolocation for the ground it came from, evidence it was produced legally and is deforestation-free, and a Due Diligence Statement filed in TRACES before customs.
Palm-oil derivatives turn up in food, cosmetics, and chemicals, so a product can be in scope without palm oil appearing on the front label. Trace the ingredient list and its HS classification.
When does this apply, and what next?
From 30 December 2026 for large and medium operators and 30 June 2027 for micro and small enterprises — see the deadlines. Start by confirming which oil palm products you handle are in scope, then ask suppliers for geolocation and DDS references now. The EUDR overview walks the full flow, and EUDR for SMEs covers the reliefs for smaller importers.
Sources
- Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 (EUDR), incl. Annex I — EUR-Lex
- European Commission — EU Deforestation Regulation guidance
Last reviewed 11 July 2026