Pioneer Seeds’ WA farm services consultant Rob Bagley, who last year celebrated 50 years of service in the agriculture industry. WA has set a new canola record in the harvest just gone, with an updated production figure expected out from GIWA this week. Photo: Pioneer Seeds – Australia

AUSTRALIA exported 603,990 tonnes of canola in December, down 4 percent from the 627,711t shipped in November, according to the latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

This takes Australia’s total canola exports for the first quarter of its marketing year to just under 1.3 million tonnes (Mt), well below the 1.48Mt shipped in the corresponding 2024 period.

Belgium on 183,624t was the biggest market for canola shipped in December 2025, followed by The Netherlands on 131,853t, and Germany on 87,080t.

In fourth and fifth place were two non-EU markets: the United Arab Emirates on 63,705t, and China on 59,930t.

In its latest supply-and-demand report for canola issued January 19, Lachstock Consulting said Australia’s canola balance sheet had “loosened materially”, led by a record Western Australian crop, and higher-than-expected yields in South Australia and Victoria.

Lachstock sees the national crop just harvested at 7.65Mt, behind only the 2022-23 record of 8.45Mt, and well up 6.51Mt in 2024-25.

“Australian canola remains competitively priced into Europe, and with a largely national crop now realised, demand remains relatively robust—suggesting exports should build as the full supply picture becomes clearer and confidence returns,” the report said.

Canada is also in the throes of marketing a big crop, with its domestic crush the key consumer.

“Export demand has been the constraint, but the outlook has shifted with China resetting tariffs: the combined tariff on Canadian canola seed will fall to 15 percent March 1.”

This implies Canadian canola remains around 6pc worse off than Australian, assuming Australian canola continues to face a standard import tariff of around 9pc, equating to roughly US$30/t at values as of January 19.

“Canola meal tariffs will revert to the standard 5pc, restoring Canadian access and increasing competition for Australian meal exports.”