The week through Friday, 11 September brought two rising and two falling quotations among the weekly and futures references tracked: white sugar rose by 0.9%, Brent by 8.7%, cocoa beans fell by 3.2% and rapeseed oil by 0.2%. The ECB exchange rate was EUR 1 = USD 1.1592 as of 11 September. The monthly, quarterly and annual indices below do not have a w/w percentage.
Key market moves this week
Brent crude: +8.7%, refresh delivered calculations. Reuters reports Friday’s Brent settlement at USD 104.61/bbl, which is approximately EUR 90/bbl at the ECB exchange rate. For offers with transport over 500 km, request an updated calculation based on the exact route and delivery window. Do not fix transport based only on last week.
RBDW sunflower oil: monthly level without w/w, request two offers. TESEO/EK reports the Bulgarian national average for refined sunflower oil at EUR 1,440/t for September 2026. This is an EU wholesale level, not CIF Rotterdam. Therefore, specify the basis, origin, Incoterms, delivery date and validity in every offer.
Cocoa beans, futures: -3.2%, offer short validity. Trading Economics reports cocoa bean futures at USD 5,961/t as of 11 September, approximately EUR 5,142/t. These are cocoa beans, futures, not cocoa powder. For chocolate manufacturers, first confirm 10-12%, alkalisation, origin and monthly volume.
ICE London White Sugar #5: +0.9%, keep fixation short. The Dec26 settlement was USD 528.70/t, approximately EUR 456/t at the ECB exchange rate. Secondary source MarketWatch confirms the London White No. 5 settlement. The latest public monthly EU average in the sugar dashboard is EUR 501/t for June 2026, which is a physical EU level, not futures. For a Q4 tender, request offer validity, packaging, origin and delivery.
Rapeseed oil: -0.2%, monitor without urgent fixation. The Euronext rapeseed proxy is EUR 550.75/t as of 11 September, which is a decline of 1.26% compared with the previous day; versus the previous Friday benchmark, it is approximately -0.2%. For offers, use Euronext Rapeseed front-month and Barchart XR*0, not another oil basis.
Cocoa powder 10-12%: monthly level without w/w. Procurement Resource reports a UK FOB level of USD 7,430.06/t for July 2026, approximately EUR 6,410/t at the ECB exchange rate. Do not compare powder with cocoa bean futures and do not state a weekly change for it. Prepare the offer according to fat content, alkalisation, origin, packaging and delivery location.
Potato starch: quarterly index, EUR 854/t, without w/w. ChemAnalyst reports the German reference index at around USD 989/t FOB Hamburg, approximately EUR 854/t at the ECB exchange rate. For an order, verify grade, batch, expiry, FCA or DAP and timing. A quarterly index is not a weekly spot price.
Tapioca starch: EUR 608/t, stable weekly level. TTSA/TQ Industry reports super-premium FOB Bangkok at USD 705/t, unchanged in the latest available weekly update. In EUR, this is approximately EUR 608/t. For imports into the EU, account for transit, mycotoxins, a non-GMO declaration and a phytosanitary certificate.
Potato flakes: annual proxy EUR 1,210/t, without w/w. GTAIC reports the German LTM import proxy at USD 1,403.26/t, approximately EUR 1,210/t. This figure is an annual proxy, not a weekly spot price. For an offer, request the batch, expiry, origin and actual delivery costs.
What this means for you by segment
- Bakeries and confectioneries: London #5 sugar is approximately EUR 456/t futures equivalent, while the latest public monthly EU average is EUR 501/t. Therefore, fix sugar only after physical delivery has been confirmed. Handle T550 flour and starches according to specification, volume and timing, not only according to a futures proxy.
- Chocolate manufacturers: Cocoa beans, futures, are approximately EUR 5,142/t and fell by 3.2%. Cocoa powder 10-12% is a separate monthly benchmark of approximately EUR 6,410/t. In one message, separate the futures signal from the powder offer.
- Dairies: Potato starch is a quarterly index at approximately EUR 854/t without w/w. For puddings, creams and ice creams, plan inventory according to the production calendar and verify quality, not only the headline price.
- Fitness and muesli: Maltodextrin is a monthly EU benchmark of EUR 1,000/t and glucose syrup EUR 626/t. For both, state only the level and the latest update, not a w/w percentage. Request DE, origin, certification and monthly consumption in one message.
- Gastro and oils: Sunflower oil is at EUR 1,440/t in the monthly Bulgarian EU wholesale average. Do not compare it directly with CIF Rotterdam without stating the basis and transport. Rapeseed oil is approximately EUR 551/t and declined slightly.
- Logistics: Brent at USD 104.61/bbl increases the need to recalculate delivered prices. For every offer, specify route, Incoterms, timing and validity.
Practical impact for buyers
- By Wednesday, request two comparable offers for refined sunflower oil, one on an EU wholesale basis and the other on a CIF Rotterdam basis.
- For cocoa beans, use short offer validity. For cocoa powder, request a 10-12% specification and a monthly level, not a w/w percentage.
- For the Q4 sugar tender, request offer validity, origin, packaging, physical delivery and the same Incoterm for all suppliers.
- For monthly, quarterly and annual indices, use only the level and update date. Do not confuse an index with a weekly move.
Why Rootie works this week
This week, Rootie is working with 3 closed contracts, 180 t of aggregated volume and an average saving of 8% compared with the spot price.
Need help with purchase timing?
Send us Inquiry and provide the commodity, specification, volume and delivery city. Rootie will compare the correct reference with the physical offer and send you the next step. Registration and inquiry at rootie.eu.
Sources: ECB EUR/USD • WSJ ICE London White Sugar #5 • MarketWatch White Sugar • EU Sugar dashboard • Trading Economics Cocoa • Procurement Resource Cocoa Powder • ChemAnalyst Potato Starch • TESEO/EK Oilseeds • Barchart XR*0 • TTSA/TQ Industry Tapioca • GTAIC Potato Flakes • IndexBox Maltodextrin • IndexBox Glucose Syrup • Reuters Brent