US lifts import ban on Malaysian palm oil firm FGV Holdings

[KUALA LUMPUR] The US has lifted a ban on Malaysian palm oil firm FGV Holdings, after finding that the company had taken sufficient action to address allegations of forced labour.

“The US will no longer detain at ports of entry palm oil and palm oil products produced by FGV,” US Customs and Border Protection said on Thursday (Jan 15).

It added that the US will “allow palm oil and palm oil products produced by FGV, provided they are compliant with US laws”, effective immediately.

In 2020, the agency banned FGV over accusations of forced labour on its plantations. FGV petitioned the agency in July 2024 to modify an order detaining its palm oil and palm oil products as imports suspected of having been made with forced labour.

FGV said the lifting of the ban reflects the significant progress it has made in upholding labour standards, addressing gaps, and implementing sustainable reforms across its operations and supply chain.

“This outcome demonstrates that our commitment to responsible and ethical practices enables FGV to meet international standards and maintain access to key markets such as the US,” said FGV group CEO Fakhrunniam Othman.

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He added that the rights, welfare and voices of its workers remain at the heart of its operations.

FGV, one of the world’s biggest palm oil producers, was delisted from the Malaysian bourse in August 2025 after 12 years as a publicly listed company.

The company was taken over by a state-owned body, the Federal Land Development Authority, after it gained more than the 90 per cent of the company’s shares required for a takeover. REUTERS