Indonesian President Joko Widodo said on May 19 that the ban on palm oil exports will be lifted from May 23 as Indonesia's domestic edible oil supply improves.

Widodo said in a statement via video that although the price of bulk edible oil has not yet reached the target price of 14,000 rupiah per liter, the Indonesian government has made the decision to lift the ban in consideration of the welfare of 17 million workers in the palm oil industry.

Indonesia is the world's largest palm oil exporter. The Indonesian government banned the export of crude palm oil and other palm oil products from April 28 as prices soared due to a shortage of edible oil in Indonesia. The ban disrupted the global vegetable oil market and prompted hundreds of small-scale palm oil farmers in Indonesia to take to the streets to protest because of the impact on their incomes, demanding that the government lift the ban.