London: SD Guthrie Bhd delivered its first-ever tariff-free shipment of Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO)-certified sustainable palm oil (CSPO) to the United Kingdom (UK) under the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the company announced that its SD Guthrie International Liverpool Refinery received 8,000 tonnes of fully traceable and segregated CSPO. The cargo was shipped aboard the Dolphin 19 from Kunak Port, Sabah on February 19. The CSPO had also undergone stringent testing to ensure low levels of mineral oil saturated hydrocarbons and mineral oil aromatic hydrocarbons.
The CPTPP is a free trade agreement initially signed in 2018 by 11 Pacific Rim countries, including Malaysia. The agreement removes most tariffs while promoting economic integration and maintaining strong labour and environmental protections among its member states. With the UK's official membership in the CPTPP taking effect on December 15, 2024, tariffs on crude palm oil and its derivatives imported from Malaysia into the UK have been eliminated. Previously, these tariffs ranged from two per cent to 10 per cent.
SD Guthrie group managing director Datuk Mohamad Helmy Othman Basha stated that the shipment highlighted not only the strength of Malaysia-UK trade relations but also the company's strong commitment to ensuring quality, traceability, and security of the sustainable palm oil supply to customers in the UK. For over a decade, SD Guthrie's Liverpool refinery has been the company's gateway for CSPO to enter the UK market, supplying approximately 50 per cent to 55 per cent of domestic palm oil demand.
The company's refined products are widely used for deep-frying in fish-and-chip shops across the country and as key ingredients in the production of many popular brands of biscuits, baked goods, and British confectionery favourites. The supply chain in Papua New Guinea (PNG) has been and remains the main source for the UK market, but this latest shipment originating from Sabah underscores the capability to provide consistent and stable supply of CSPO to the UK, while maintaining high standards of quality, sustainability, and food safety. Depending on market conditions and customer requirements, SD Guthrie can offer customers the security of supply needed to run their businesses, from Malaysia or PNG.