The situation in the Middle East is unlikely to ease in the short term, and international crude oil prices have surged again, reinforcing palm oil's energy attribute as a biodiesel feedstock, keeping palm oil futures prices high. Foreign sellers have significant room to offer concessions, and domestic palm oil import margins are considerable, leading to concentrated vessel purchases recently. However, the fundamentals of palm oil both domestically and internationally remain weak, with sluggish demand limiting price increases. Market attention should be focused on the pace of domestic vessel purchases and high-frequency data from Malaysian palm oil. In the short term, palm oil prices are expected to trade in a volatile range.