Georgia is likely to face higher costs for sunflower oil imports starting January 2026 after Russia’s decision to increase export duties on the product. Russian media, based on the comments made by Ministry of Agriculture, report that the export duty on sunflower oil will rise by 36.5%, from 8,214.5 rubles per ton in December to 9,298.6 rubles per ton in 2026.
In contrast, Russia will abolish the export duty on sunflower meal, reducing it to zero for the first time since October 2022. The new rates are based on updated indicative prices used in the duty calculation formula: USD 1,200.2 per ton for sunflower oil, up from USD 1,169.5 a month earlier and USD 195.7 per ton for sunflower meal, down from USD 210.9. Under Russia’s system, the duty is set at 70% of the difference between the indicative price and a fixed base price, calculated using average market prices over a one-month period.
The floating export duty mechanism for sunflower oil was introduced in September 2021 and initially calculated in US dollars before being converted to rubles in July 2022. The base price is set at 82,500 rubles per ton for oil and 15,875 rubles per ton for meal. In August 2024, the Russian government extended the duty regime until September 2026 and later prolonged it further through August 31, 2028.
Russia remains Georgia’s primary supplier of sunflower oil, making these changes particularly significant for the Georgian market. Import data indicate that costs were already rising in 2025. In the first 11 months of the year, Georgia imported 40,147 tons of sunflower oil. Although volumes declined by 3.5% year-on-year, the total value of imports increased markedly.
Imports from Russia accounted for 33,155 tons worth USD 50.25 million, compared with 36,315 tons valued at USD 37.5 million during the same period a year earlier. Georgia also sources smaller quantities of vegetable oil from Ukraine, Azerbaijan and the United Arab Emirates but Russia continues to dominate supply, leaving domestic prices sensitive to Russian export policy.
