Argentina Sunflower Seed Oil Export Market -- HS Code 1512 Trade Data & Price Trend (Q2 2025)

Argentina Sunflower Seed Oil Export (HS 1512) Key Takeaways

Argentina’s Sunflower Seed Oil exports surged in Q2 2025, driven by strong demand for crude and refined grades, with crude oil dominating 70% of HS Code 1512 trade. India emerged as the premium buyer, accounting for 42% of export value, while Chile absorbed bulk volumes at lower margins. The market spiked in April, likely due to preemptive shipments ahead of regulatory updates. This analysis, covering Q2 2025, is based on cleanly processed Customs data from the yTrade database.

Argentina Sunflower Seed Oil Export (HS 1512) Background

What is HS Code 1512?

HS Code 1512 covers sunflower-seed, safflower, or cotton-seed oil and their fractions, whether refined or not, but not chemically modified. This product is widely used in food processing, cooking, and industrial applications due to its high smoke point and nutritional profile. Global demand remains stable, driven by its versatility in both consumer and manufacturing sectors.

Current Context and Strategic Position

The recent revision of the U.S. Harmonized Tariff Schedule (2025) [USITC] underscores the importance of accurate classification for duty rates and trade statistics, directly impacting HS Code 1512 trade flows. Argentina's sunflower seed oil export is strategically significant, as the country ranks among the top global producers, leveraging its agricultural capacity to meet international demand. Monitoring hs code 1512 trade data is critical, especially in Q2 2025, to navigate tariff adjustments and maintain competitive positioning in key markets. Vigilance is essential to capitalize on Argentina's export strengths amid evolving trade policies.

Argentina Sunflower Seed Oil Export (HS 1512) Price Trend

Key Observations

Argentina's Sunflower Seed Oil exports for Q2 2025 reached $724.56 million USD, marking a significant sequential increase from the previous quarter. This surge was driven by a sharp rise in export activity during April, followed by substantial value-based shipments in May and June, despite the absence of corresponding weight data for those months.

Price and Volume Dynamics

The Argentina Sunflower Seed Oil Export trend showed strong momentum building from February through April, with total value climbing from $317.91 million to $387.56 million. The release of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (2025) Revision 5 in mid-March likely prompted accelerated shipments ahead of potential regulatory adjustments, explaining the notable Q2 expansion. This pattern reflects strategic export timing in response to trade policy signals, sustaining the hs code 1512 value trend even as traditional volume metrics became unavailable later in the quarter.

Argentina Sunflower Seed Oil Export (HS 1512) HS Code Breakdown

Product Specialization and Concentration

In Q2 2025, Argentina's HS Code 1512 export is heavily concentrated in crude sunflower seed oil, with one sub-code dominating the market. According to yTrade data, the crude oil variant "Vegetable oils; sunflower seed or safflower oil and their fractions, crude, not chemically modified" accounts for over 70% of the export value, with a unit price of 4.07 USD per kilogram. This high value share indicates strong specialization in bulk, unrefined products. A few minor entries with negligible quantities and missing price data are isolated as anomalies and excluded from further analysis.

Value-Chain Structure and Grade Analysis

The remaining exports under Argentina's HS Code 1512 can be grouped into two main categories based on processing stage: crude oils and refined oils. Crude oils, with unit prices around 4 USD per kilogram, represent the bulk of volume but lower value per unit. Refined oils, such as "other than crude, whether or not refined," show a wider price range from 1.73 to 6.66 USD per kilogram, suggesting variations in quality or refinement level. This structure points to a trade in fungible bulk commodities, where price is often linked to market indices, but with some differentiation in refined grades.

Strategic Implication and Pricing Power

For market players, the HS Code 1512 trade data reveals that pricing power is higher for refined oil exporters due to their ability to command premium prices. Argentina's export strategy could focus on increasing the share of higher-value refined products to enhance margins, while maintaining its strong position in crude oil bulk exports. This approach would leverage existing infrastructure while tapping into more profitable market segments.

Table: Argentina HS Code 1512) Breakdown Details (Source: yTrade)

Check Detailed HS Code 1512 Breakdown

Argentina Sunflower Seed Oil Export (HS 1512) Destination Countries

Geographic Concentration and Dominant Role

India is the dominant buyer of Argentina's Sunflower Seed Oil exports for Q2 2025, taking 42.23% of the total export value. This market commands a premium; India's value share is significantly higher than its weight share of 35.48%. This gap means Argentina is earning more money per kilogram shipped to India, indicating a strong demand for higher-grade oil. The trade is not fragmented, as the shipment frequency is relatively low.

Destination Countries Clusters and Underlying Causes

The data reveals two clear clusters of buyers. The first is a Volume Cluster, consisting of Chile and Iraq. Chile received 53.98% of the total export weight but only 7.78% of the value, indicating very low-priced, bulk shipments, likely of crude oil for further processing. Iraq shows a similar, though less extreme, profile. The second is a High-Yield Cluster, including the United States and the United Arab Emirates. These countries have high value shares relative to their weight, pointing to imports of more refined, premium-priced Sunflower Seed Oil for direct consumption.

Forward Strategy and Supply Chain Implications

The strategy must balance these two streams. For high-value markets like India, the US, and the UAE, the focus should be on maintaining quality and securing contracts for premium products. For high-volume partners like Chile, the priority is logistics efficiency for bulk shipments to protect thin margins. A small portion of exports, valued at $14.47M, was shipped to Mexico. This demonstrates the need to diversify beyond the top partners to build resilience in Argentina's Sunflower Seed Oil export business.

Table: Argentina Sunflower Seed Oil (HS 1512) Top Destination Countries (Source: yTrade)

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Action Plan for Sunflower Seed Oil Market Operation and Expansion

• Prioritize contracts with high-yield markets like India, the US, and the UAE for refined oil shipments to capitalize on premium pricing, as this directly boosts margins for the Argentina Sunflower Seed Oil export business.
• Streamline bulk shipping logistics for volume-driven partners like Chile and Iraq to protect thin margins on crude oil, ensuring the Sunflower Seed Oil supply chain remains cost-effective for high-volume, low-value transactions.
• Use HS code 1512 trade data to time shipments and negotiate contracts aligned with global price index fluctuations, securing better terms by anticipating market movements.
• Develop a market diversification strategy to reduce over-reliance on top partners, using trade data to identify and target new potential buyers for building a more resilient export operation.

Take Action Now —— Explore Argentina Sunflower Seed Oil Export Data

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. What is driving the recent changes in Argentina Sunflower Seed Oil Export 2025 Q2?

Argentina's Sunflower Seed Oil exports surged to $724.56 million in Q2 2025, driven by accelerated shipments in April and sustained high-value exports in May and June, likely due to strategic timing ahead of potential regulatory changes.

Q2. Who are the main destination countries of Argentina Sunflower Seed Oil (HS Code 1512) 2025 Q2?

India dominates as the top buyer, accounting for 42.23% of export value, followed by Chile (7.78% value share) and Iraq, with the U.S. and UAE forming a high-yield cluster.

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

Price differences stem from product grades: crude oil (bulk, ~4 USD/kg) ships to volume-focused markets like Chile, while refined oils (1.73–6.66 USD/kg) command premiums in high-value markets like India and the UAE.

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

Exporters should prioritize refining capacity to serve premium markets (India, U.S., UAE) while optimizing bulk logistics for volume-driven buyers (Chile, Iraq) to balance margins and market share.

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

High-value buyers (India, UAE) secure premium refined oils, while volume-focused buyers (Chile) access cost-effective crude oil for processing, reflecting stable but segmented supply chains.

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

Crude oil is primarily used for industrial processing, while refined oils cater to direct consumption in food products, aligning with destination-specific demand patterns.

Detailed Monthly Report

Argentina HS1512 Export Snapshot 2025 APR

Argentina HS1512 Export Snapshot 2025 MAY

Argentina HS1512 Export Snapshot 2025 JUN