What is the FOB Dutch mill rapeseed oil contract?

In short

FOB Dutch mill (FDM) is a key European price benchmark for rapeseed oil. The seller delivers the oil free on board at a crushing mill in the Netherlands, and the buyer arranges transport from there. Trades are priced in euros per metric tonne and follow the trading rules of NOFOTA, the Netherlands oils, fats and oilseeds trade association.

What the words mean

  • Rapeseed oil (RSO) is pressed from rapeseed at a crushing mill. The FDM market trades crude degummed rapeseed oil.
  • FOB (free on board) means the seller’s obligation ends once the oil is loaded at the mill onto the transport the buyer has arranged. From that point, transport and risk sit with the buyer.
  • Dutch mill means the oil is loaded at an oilseed crushing plant in the Netherlands.

For other trade terms, see our glossary.

The rules behind the contract

FDM trades follow NOFOTA trading rules, and disputes under those rules are settled by NOFOTA arbitration in Rotterdam. Price reporting agencies describe the product against the FEDIOL specification for crude degummed rapeseed oil. FOSFA, the London-based federation of oils, seeds and fats associations, publishes its own standard contracts, which are used in other parts of the vegetable oil trade.

Who trades it

Sellers are mainly the crushing mills. Buyers include biodiesel producers, food and feed manufacturers, and trade houses. Some participants trade physical oil; others use the FDM price to hedge or take a position (see physical, swaps and futures).

How it is priced

There is no single exchange price for physical FDM oil. Price reporting agencies publish daily assessments, and multi-broker trading screens show live bids, offers and trades, as on our trading platform. See how the FDM price is set, or browse all our guides.

Frequently asked questions

What does FOB Dutch mill mean?

Free on board at a crushing mill in the Netherlands: the seller loads the oil at the mill, and the buyer takes over transport and risk from there.

What product does the FDM market trade?

Crude degummed rapeseed oil, priced in euros per metric tonne.

Which trading rules apply?

NOFOTA trading rules, with arbitration through the NOFOTA Arbitration Division in Rotterdam.

Next step: talk to a broker

Buying or selling FDM rapeseed oil? See how our brokerage works or send us your requirement.

Page updated 1 November 2026