KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 29): Malaysian palm oil is sustainable, and its zero-tariff rate would be beneficial, according to the Trade and Agriculture Commission (TAC), an expert advisory group to the United Kingdom (UK) government.

In a statement on Monday, Malaysian Palm Oil Council chief executive officer Belvinder Sron said that the new independent expert report clearly shows that Malaysia’s commitment to sustainability is clear and that the  Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) certification scheme is the gold standard for sustainable palm oil certification.

“The facts about Malaysia’s commitment to palm oil excellence are clear. MSPO is the gold standard for sustainable palm oil certification and can assure both importers and UK authorities that all legal requirements are met and no deforestation has taken place.

“Malaysia leads the world in sustainable palm oil certification, and we look forward to supplying more high-quality sustainable palm oil to the UK and other markets,” she said.

The MPOC said that the expert analysis concluded that the MSPO’s sustainability requirements meet and exceed the UK legislation’s requirements.

“There are potential benefits to the UK if more Malaysian palm oil is exported — because of higher sustainability standards in Malaysia, compared with other countries. The UK should move ahead with the planned zero tariff on Malaysian palm oil.

“The TAC provided expert advice to the UK government following the UK’s accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for a Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) in 2023. Malaysia is a founding member of CPTPP,” it said.

The MPOC noted that it is clear from this detailed expert report that all domestic and international companies supplying the UK market can now have full confidence in MSPO as a genuine verification tool for the UK market.

“The next step should be for formal recognition by the UK government of MSPO as a tool for compliance with the UK Due Diligence and associated regulations.

“As the clear ‘legality standard’ for Malaysian palm oil, it is a ready-made compliance tool and deserves to be formally recognised by the UK government,” it said.

The MPOC also said that in addition to support from experts, Malaysian palm oil has also received political support at the highest levels of the UK government.

“The UK’s Business and Trade secretary Kemi Badenoch has rejected scaremongering about palm oil, explaining on British television channel Sky News that ‘palm oil is a great product; it’s in so many of the things we use’,” the MPOC added.