Author: Khalil Hegarty

Trade War Update The EU has hit back at Indonesia’s proposal to slap duties in European dairy products in response to the EU’s countervailing duties on biodiesel, with its most aggressive statement to date. According to news reports, the EU’s Head of Trade and Economics for Indonesia, Raffaele Quarto said: “What the WTO does not […]

Trade War Update As stated last week, a number of commentators are now referring to the palm oil spat between the EU and ASEAN countries as a ‘trade war’. POM will be happy to use that term for the time being – and until told otherwise. Here’s a roundup of the latest developments. Malaysia Malaysia’s […]

Malaysia looks for palm friendly UK FTA Malaysian Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad has called on the UK to commence negotiating a trade agreement with Malaysia once the Brexit process is completed. Unsurprisingly, he has specifically called on the UK to take a different approach on palm oil when it comes to renewable fuels. The […]

Palm is not a Focus for IPCC Experts – only for NGOs, media The newest IPCC special report on climate change and land is fascinating reading for anyone interested in food production and its impact on the environment. It argues quite convincingly that a meat-based diet has a more harmful impact on land systems and […]

EU Introduces Duties on Indonesian Biodiesel The EU has announced that it will introduce countervailing duties (CVDs) on exports of biodiesel from Indonesia. The EU has set the duties ranging between 8 and 18 per cent across the board, with a slightly reduced level for some producers such as Wilmar and Musim Mas. CVDs are […]

The Renewable Energy Directive’s planned ban on palm oil has taken its toll on the industry, but the battle is far from over as both Malaysia and Indonesia seek to take the EU to the WTO and rally support against EU regulations in the region. However, the EU has now opened a new and arguably […]

Palm at the WTO shifts gears Reuters has reported that Malaysia will put forward its World Trade Organization (WTO) case on the EU’s revised Renewable Energy Directive (RED II) and palm oil sooner rather than later. Reuters reports that Primary Industries Minister Teresa Kok said that: “the documents are with the attorney general chambers now… […]

The EU’s Version of Cooperation on Palm Oil The European Commission launched its Indonesian ‘Blue Book’ – a broader strategy on bilateral development cooperation – earlier this month. The launch is generally a time of EU self-congratulation. This year, however, it was overshadowed by the Renewable Energy Directive (RED). The Blue Book generally makes broad […]

The European Parliamentary Elections: Implications for the Industry The European elections took place last week (23rd to 26th May), and the new makeup of the European Parliament announces change. This will have serious implications for the attitude towards palm oil going forward – both within the Parliament itself and, by association, within the European Commission. A change in […]

RSPO Smallholder Standard: Consultation Closing RSPO’s third round of consultations for its smallholder standard is about to close – on June 8. The consultation represents the end of another stage of what has been a particularly long road in the implementation of its smallholder strategy. Since its inception, RSPO had a difficult relationship with smallholders. […]