Germany’s biodiesel exports fell by about 11 per cent in 2025 compared with the previous year’s record level, according to data released by the German Federal Statistical Office, biofuels international reported.
Exports declined from 3.22 million tonnes in 2024 to 2.90 million tonnes in 2025. Net exports also dropped by 0.47 million tonnes to 1.14 million tonnes.
The Union zur Förderung von Oel- und Proteinpflanzen (UFOP) said the export of biodiesel effectively means exporting potential climate benefits from Germany’s transport sector. The organisation has urged lawmakers to take this into account during the ongoing parliamentary discussions on greenhouse gas reduction quota legislation.
The Netherlands remained Germany’s largest trading partner for biodiesel, with Rotterdam continuing to serve as a key hub for international biofuel trade. Shipments to the Netherlands held steady at around 1.4 million tonnes. Deliveries to Belgium also remained largely unchanged. Belgium ranked as the second most important export market, receiving 708,700 tonnes, up 1 per cent year-on-year.
Exports to Austria rose by nearly 29 per cent to 121,700 tonnes. In contrast, shipments to Poland fell by 10 per cent to 356,700 tonnes. Exports to Switzerland, France, Latvia, Sweden and other European Union nations also declined.
Meanwhile, Germany increased its biodiesel imports. According to the Agrarmarkt Informations-Gesellschaft, the country imported around 1.7 million tonnes in 2025, nearly 7 per cent more than in 2024.
The largest import volumes came from the Netherlands, Belgium, Malaysia and Poland. Imports from Poland rose by roughly 25 per cent to 80,100 tonnes, while shipments from Malaysia fell by just under 16 per cent.
Amid discussions in the German Bundestag on increasing the greenhouse gas reduction quota, UFOP has called for raising the cap on biofuels made from cultivated biomass from 4.4 per cent to 5.8 per cent, which is the level allowed under European Union rules.
