Physical vegetable oil markets opened the week in slightly mixed but overall sluggish fashion. Prices were flat to slightly changed, with few actual deals again reported. Transportation problems that started last week amid frigid temperatures and several winter storms around the country are expected to linger into part of this week.

Price indications for coconut oil and most other palm oil products have been firm to higher because of higher fright rates due to issues in the Red Sea and with the Panama Canal, as well as recent strength in palm oil futures in Malaysia.

Figure 1.

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