US castor-oil prices moved lower in January 2026 as ample origin supply and softer downstream buying eased CFR Houston levels. Prices eased by around 4% month-on-month. Gujarat crushing during the Dec鈥揓an harvest supported exports and reduced urgency among US buyers. Freight relief and Gulf inventories diminished the need for aggressive spot purchases, with importers adopting a cautious, wait-and-see stance. The January tone trended toward softer offers and measured procurement rather than cargo urgency. Downstream demand was mixed across end-use segments: lubricant blenders remained cautious, with automotive lubricant sales soft after year-end stocking, keeping demand for castor-based lubricant intermediates muted; biopolymer producers and cosmetic formulators maintained routine schedules and pockets of buying outlook remains mixed for the near term, with modest moves in a narrow range around flat to gains. Freight relief and harvest momentum may keep CFR pressure lower in the near term, while inventories rebuild could support firmer buying later in the quarter.
The market value of the castor oil in the US import market has moved lower in January **** as ample origin supply and softer downstream buying combined to ease CFR Houston levels. The early January developments of smooth crushing operations in Gujarat during the Dec鈥揓an harvest window have allowed the castor oil exports to flow and reduced the urgency among the US buyers. The freight relief and comfortable Gulf terminal inventories have removed the immediate need for aggressive castor oil spot purchases and many importers took a wait-and-see stance at the start of the quarter after year-end stocking. The castor oil market tone in January was leaning towards the softer offers and measured procurement rather than a volatile scramble for cargoes.
The downstream demand of castor oil was mixed across end-use segments which helped to shape the price move. The industrial and automotive lubricant...
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