Malaysia says it may stop exporting palm oil to EU after new restrictions

By Mei Mei Chu KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysia said on Thursday it might stop exporting palm oil to the European Union in response to a new EU law aimed at protecting forests through strict regulation of palm oil sales. Commodities Minister Fadillah Yusof said Malaysia and Indonesia would discuss the law, which bans the sale of palm oil and other commodities linked to deforestation unless importers can show that the production of their specific products has not damaged the forests. The EU is a major importer of palm oil and the law, passed in December, sparked protests from the world's top producers, Indonesia and Malaysia. "If we need to engage experts from abroad to counter any EU move, we have to," Fadillah told reporters at a seminar on Thursday. “Or the option could be we just stop exports to Europe, just focus on other countries if they (the EU) are making it difficult for them to export.” Environmental activists blame the palm oil industry for rampant deforestation of ...