Malaysian palm oil futures fell on Thursday to their lowest in more than three years, as record stocks and concerns that US fiscal woes might drag on global growth spooked investors. Despite announcements of more monetary stimulus by the US Federal Reserve, traders remained cautious as sharp differences on the 2013 budget persisted between Congressional Republicans and the White House, and negotiators warned the showdown could drag on past Christmas.
Record high stocks in Malaysia, the world's No 2 palm producer, also drove palm oil futures to their third straight daily loss. "The market looks exhausted at current levels, and some correction is anticipated. But any bounce will be limited with supply seen at record levels," a trader with a local commodities brokerage in Malaysia said.
At the close, the benchmark February contract on the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Exchange lost 0.6 percent to settle at 2,227 ringgit ($730) per tonne, slightly above its intraday low of 2,217 ringgit, a level unseen since November 2009. Total traded volumes surged to 34,576 lots of 25 tonnes each after the midday break, compared to the usual 25,000 lots. Traders will be counting on Malaysian exporters to use their tax-free export quota ahead of its year-end expiration and looking to stronger Chinese demand to bolster export figures for the first half of December.
India's monthly imports of cooking oil fell by a third in November, a trade body said, largely because of a drop in purchases of palm oil, as cold weather makes the commodity unusable and volatile prices deterred buyers. Malaysia's new crude palm oil export tax for January is also in focus as analysts said the tax, likely to be set at zero, could boost exports of the crude grade and ease record stock levels. In other vegetable oil markets, US soyaoil for January delivery lost 0.1 percent in late Asian trade. The most active May 2013 soybean oil contract on the Dalian Commodity Exchange closed 0.6 percent lower.