+Info   Soybean oil is the natural oil extracted from whole soybeans. Typically, about 19% of a soybean's weight can be extracted as crude soybean oil. The oil content of U.S. soybeans correlates directly with the temperatures and amount of sunshine during the soybean pod-filling stages. Edible products produced with soybean oil include cooking and salad oils, shortening, and margarine. Soybean oil is the most widely used cooking oil in the U.S. It accounts for 80% of margarine production and for more than 75% of total U.S. consumer vegetable fat and oil consumption. Soy oil is cholesterol-free and high in polyunsaturated fat. Soy oil is also used to produce inedible products such as paints, varnish, resins, and plastics. Of the edible vegetable oils, soy oil is the world's largest at about 32%, followed by palm oil and rapeseed oil. Soybean oil futures and options are traded at the CME Group.

Prices - CME soybean oil futures prices (Barchart.com electronic symbol ZL) on the nearest-futures chart rose early in the year, peaked in August, and then drifted lower to finally close up +3.66% at 38.08 cents per pound. Regarding cash prices for the year 2017/18 (through December 2017), the average monthly price of crude domestic soybean oil (in tank cars) in Decatur (F.O.B.) rose by +0.4% yr/yr to 32.68 cents per pound.

Supply - World production of soybean oil in 2016/17 is expected to rise +4.5% yr/yr to a new record high of 54.202 million metric tons. China will account for 30.3% of world soybean oil production, while the U.S. will account for 18.2%, and Argentina for 15.2%. U.S. production of soybean oil in 2017/18 is expected to rise +1.8% yr/yr to 22.505 billion pounds.

Demand - World consumption of soybean oil in 2017/18 is expected to rise +4.1% yr/yr to a new record high of 56.008 million metric tons. China will account for 31.1% of world consumption, while the U.S. will account for 17.0%, Brazil for 12.0%, and India for 10.0%. U.S. consumption of soybean oil in 2017/18 is expected to rise +5.9% yr/yr to 21.00 billion pounds.

Trade - World exports of soybean oil in 2017/18 are expected to rise +3.3% yr/yr to 11.701 million metric tons. U.S. exports of soybean oil in 2017/18 are expected to fall -25.7% yr/yr to 1,900 billion pounds, well below 2009-10 record high of 3.359 billion pounds.

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