Argentina Sunflower Oil Export Market -- HS Code 151219 Trade Data & Price Trend (Feb 2025)

Argentina Sunflower Oil Export (HS 151219) Key Takeaways

Argentina's Sunflower Oil exports under HS Code 151219 surged in February 2025, with a 66% value jump driven by high-volume bulk shipments and premium specialty oils. The market is split between cost-sensitive bulk buyers like Paraguay and premium-focused destinations like Chile, which commands higher prices for refined grades. Chile dominates as the top buyer, accounting for 32% of export value, while Mexico and the U.S. form a high-margin cluster. The data reveals a clear two-tier structure—high-volume, low-margin bulk oils and low-volume, high-margin specialty products—highlighting Argentina's dual export strategy. This analysis covers February 2025 and is based on cleanly processed Customs data from the yTrade database.

Argentina Sunflower Oil Export (HS 151219) Background

What is HS Code 151219?

HS Code 151219 refers to other sunflower seed or safflower oil, refined, a key commodity in global food and industrial markets. This product is widely used in cooking, food processing, and biodiesel production, driven by its stability and high smoke point. Its demand remains steady due to its versatility and growing preference for plant-based oils.

Current Context and Strategic Position

Global commodity markets face volatility from supply chain disruptions and shifting trade policies, impacting refined sunflower oil trade. Argentina's sunflower oil export plays a critical role, as the country is a top global supplier, leveraging its robust agricultural sector. Monitoring hs code 151219 trade data is essential to gauge Argentina's market position and anticipate shifts in demand. With no major policy changes recently, stakeholders must stay vigilant to macroeconomic trends affecting Sunflower Oil Export from Argentina. Strategic analysis is key to navigating this dynamic landscape.

Argentina Sunflower Oil Export (HS 151219) Price Trend

Key Observations

Argentina's Sunflower Oil exports in February 2025 surged to 53.31 million USD, a significant increase from January's 32.05 million USD, with the unit price settling at $2.71 per kilogram. This performance highlights a robust start to the year for the hs code 151219 value trend, driven by heightened export activity.

Price and Volume Dynamics

The Argentina Sunflower Oil Export trend showed strong sequential growth from January to February, with export volume rising by 78% and total value climbing by 66%, despite a 7% drop in unit price. This pattern suggests increased supply availability, possibly tied to seasonal harvest pressures or competitive pricing strategies to capture global market share. The momentum aligns with typical industry cycles where early-year exports often ramp up to meet international demand, potentially influenced by Argentina's peso dynamics making exports more attractive.

Argentina Sunflower Oil Export (HS 151219) HS Code Breakdown

Product Specialization and Concentration

According to yTrade data for February 2025, Argentina's export of HS Code 151219 is heavily concentrated in a single, high-value specialty oil. The product 'Vegetable oils; sunflower seed or safflower oil and their fractions, other than crude, whether or not refined, but not chemically modified' (HS 15121919110) dominates, accounting for over 70% of the total export value despite representing less than 2% of the total weight. This massive disparity, with a unit price of 2.73 USD/kg, signals a highly specialized, premium product stream. A tiny, ultra-high-priced anomaly (7.92 USD/kg) was present but is excluded from the main analysis due to its negligible volume.

Value-Chain Structure and Grade Analysis

The remaining non-anomalous trade under Argentina's HS Code 151219 breaks into two clear tiers. The first is a high-volume, lower-unit-price bulk commodity (HS 15121911000 at 2.65 USD/kg), which forms the volume backbone of these exports. The second tier consists of several other refined oil grades (e.g., HS 15121919190 at 2.89 USD/kg) that trade at slightly higher prices but in much smaller volumes. This structure confirms the market deals in fungible bulk commodities, where price is heavily linked to global indices, with a smaller segment of slightly upgraded products.

Strategic Implication and Pricing Power

This analysis of HS Code 151219 trade data shows Argentina's export is split between a high-volume, low-margin bulk business and a high-margin, low-volume specialty operation. For market players, this means pricing power is limited in the bulk segment but potentially strong for the specialized grade if demand is stable. The strategic focus should be on maintaining cost leadership for the bulk commodity while protecting the premium margins of the specialty oil through consistent quality and targeted marketing.

Check Detailed HS Code 151219 Breakdown

Argentina Sunflower Oil Export (HS 151219) Destination Countries

Geographic Concentration and Dominant Role

Chile was the dominant destination for Argentina's sunflower oil exports in February 2025. It accounted for 31.95% of the total export value and 28.52% of the total weight. The value share is higher than the weight share, showing Chile pays a premium price. This suggests Argentina is shipping higher-grade or refined sunflower oil to this market.

Destination Countries Clusters and Underlying Causes

The data reveals two clear clusters among other buyers. Mexico and the United States form a high-yield cluster. Their value shares (24.20% and 13.99%) are vastly higher than their minimal weight shares (26.03% and 15.10% respectively), indicating a strong demand for premium product. A volume cluster includes Paraguay and Brazil. Paraguay’s weight share of 7.12% is closely aligned with its value share of 7.02%, pointing to bulk shipments of standard commodity oil.

Forward Strategy and Supply Chain Implications

The strategy should focus on two fronts. For high-value markets like Chile, Mexico, and the US, Argentina should maintain its premium product quality to protect its price advantage. For bulk buyers like Paraguay, optimizing logistics for cost-effective, large-volume shipments will be key to retaining this segment. No specific trade news or policy was announced to influence these patterns.

Table: Argentina Sunflower Oil (HS 151219) Top Destination Countries (Source: yTrade)

Get Complete Destination Countries Profile

Action Plan for Sunflower Oil Market Operation and Expansion

• Segment shipments by oil grade using hs code 151219 trade data to target premium markets like Chile and the US with higher-value products, maximizing revenue per ton of Argentina Sunflower Oil Export.
• Optimize the Sunflower Oil supply chain for bulk shipments to Paraguay and Brazil by negotiating freight contracts for large volumes, securing cost leadership in the high-volume, low-margin segment.
• Mitigate supply risks for the Argentina Sunflower Oil Export by diversifying buyers beyond the dominant Chilean market, ensuring stability if demand from a single country shifts.
• Monitor hs code 151219 trade data monthly to track unit price shifts between bulk and specialty oils, adjusting production and sales focus to protect premium margins.

Take Action Now —— Explore Argentina Sunflower Oil Export Data

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. What is driving the recent changes in Argentina Sunflower Oil Export 2025 February?

Argentina's sunflower oil exports surged in February 2025, with a 66% value increase and 78% volume growth compared to January. This was driven by higher supply availability, likely due to seasonal harvest pressures or competitive pricing strategies.

Q2. Who are the main destination countries of Argentina Sunflower Oil (HS Code 151219) 2025 February?

Chile was the top buyer (31.95% of export value), followed by Mexico (24.20%) and the U.S. (13.99%). Paraguay and Brazil formed a secondary bulk-shipment cluster.

Q3. Why does the unit price differ across destination countries of Argentina Sunflower Oil Export?

Price differences stem from Argentina exporting two product tiers: high-value specialty oils (e.g., HS 15121919110 at 2.73 USD/kg) to premium markets like Chile and Mexico, and bulk commodity oils (e.g., HS 15121911000 at 2.65 USD/kg) to volume buyers like Paraguay.

Q4. What should exporters in Argentina focus on in the current Sunflower Oil export market?

Exporters should maintain cost leadership for bulk shipments while protecting premium margins in high-value markets (Chile, Mexico, U.S.) through consistent quality and targeted marketing.

Q5. What does this Argentina Sunflower Oil export pattern mean for buyers in partner countries?

Premium-market buyers (Chile, Mexico, U.S.) can expect stable high-grade supply but should monitor pricing, while bulk buyers (Paraguay, Brazil) benefit from cost-effective large-volume shipments.

Q6. How is Sunflower Oil typically used in this trade flow?

Argentina’s exports under HS 151219 are primarily refined sunflower oils for culinary and food manufacturing applications, with specialty grades likely used in premium consumer products.