India's vegetable oil imports rose 13 per cent to 7.94 million tonnes in the first six months of the 2025-26 oil year, driven by a sharp surge in palm oil shipments, industry body the Solvent Extractors Association of India (SEA) said on Wednesday. The world's largest cooking oil consumer imported 7.04 million tonnes in the same period a year earlier. India's oil year runs from November to October. In value terms, imports for the November-April period climbed 19 per cent to Rs 87,000 crore up from Rs 73,000 crore a year-ago. Of the total imports, edible oils accounted for 7.82 million tonnes and non-edible oils for 121,000 tonnes, SEA said in a statement. Palm oil imports nearly doubled to 3.97 million tonnes from 2.74 million tonnes a year earlier, while soft oil shipments, which include soybean and sunflower oils, fell to 3.85 million tonnes from 4.13 million tonnes. Indonesia and Malaysia are the primary suppliers of palm oil to India. Argentina is the largest supplier of soy
India's palm oil imports in March fell to 689,462 metric tons, the lowest since December 2025, down from 847,689 tons in February
Retail edible oil prices begin to rise as global palm and soybean oil rates climb alongside crude oil amid the West Asia crisis
India's vegetable oil imports fell 2 per cent to 3.96 million tonnes in the first quarter of the 2025-26 oil year (November-October) from a year earlier, as lower soybean and sunflower oil purchases offset a rise in palm oil imports, industry data showed on Friday. The world's biggest vegetable oil importer bought 4.05 million tonnes, including edible and non-edible oils, in the same period a year ago, according to the Solvent Extractors Association of India (SEA). Palm oil imports rose 18 per cent to 1.91 million tonnes in the November 2025-January 2026 quarter from 1.62 million tonnes a year earlier, the industry body said in a statement. Port stocks of palm oil stood at 4,86,000 tonnes on February 1, up 33,000 tonnes from the previous month. Crude soybean oil imports fell 9 per cent to 1.20 million tonnes from 1.27 million tonnes, while port stocks declined to 1,90,000 tonnes from 3,00,000 tonnes a month earlier. Crude sunflower oil imports dropped 15 per cent to 7,59,000 ton
Lower palm oil imports by India, the world's largest buyer of vegetable oils, could lift inventories in top producers Indonesia and Malaysia
Imports of soyoil dropped more than 18% to 370,661 tons and sunflower oil imports fell 45% to a two-year low of 142,953 tons, the industry body said
Meanwhile, soyoil imports fell 12 per cent to 400,000 tons, and sunflower oil imports slid 44 per cent to a two-year low of 145,000 tons, according to dealer estimates
The increase in purchases by the world's largest buyer is likely to reduce stocks in key producing countries such as Indonesia and Malaysia and lend support to benchmark Malaysian palm oil futures
India's palm oil imports in September dropped 16.3 per cent to 829,017 metric tonnes, marking their lowest point since May, the industry trade body SEA of India said
Edible oil demand-supply gap may widen to 40 mn tonnes by 2047, warns paper
Higher palm oil imports by India, the world's largest buyer of vegetable oils, are expected to help top producers Indonesia and Malaysia
Indian vegetable oil importers are ramping up palm oil purchases ahead of the festival season as declining global prices make it cost-effective to meet expected demand surge during the festive period, according to the Indian Vegetable Oil Producers' Association (IVPA). The recent reduction in import duty on crude edible oils to 10 per cent, from 20 per cent, provides "a little bit of relief" for consumers, though prices would have been higher otherwise, IVPA President Sudhakar Desai told PTI in an interview. The duty cut was reflected in loose oils within two days but it takes up to 25 days to reflect in packaged oils, he said, and added the IVPA welcomes the government's soon-to-be-notified new regulations on the vegetable oil sector. The organised sector will not have any issue in implementing it unlike the unorganised sector. "Preparations have already started. We see good imports in July. People are buying ahead of festival time. The pipeline was dry in the previous three month
Gujarat's Kandla Port has pledged to address vessel congestion issues and ensure uninterrupted edible oil supplies, the Indian Vegetable Oil Producers' Association (IVPA) said on Monday. The assurance came during a meeting between industry representatives and Kandla Port Chairman Sushil Kumar Singh, aimed at resolving bottlenecks that have affected imports of palm oil and other edible oils. Singh outlined infrastructure improvements, including new 14-inch pipelines and preparations to handle edible oil at two additional berths with dedicated pipelines, the IVPA said in a statement. The port authority agreed to maintain its existing system of imposing penalty charges for delayed vessel discharges rather than moving ships to outer anchorage for re-berthing, which creates additional costs for importers, the association said. Singh emphasised the need for coordination between port officials and importers to minimise delays after vessels dock, and urged vessel agents to flag potential .
Higher purchases by India, the world's biggest buyer of palm oil, will support benchmark Malaysian palm oil futures, which have fallen nearly 10 per cent so far in 2025
ICMR recommends a 12 kg limit, but rising consumption is fuelling obesity, lifestyle diseases, and growing dependence on edible oil imports
Depleted stocks could force the world's biggest buyer of vegetable oils to increase imports of palm oil and soyoil in the coming months, supporting Malaysian palm oil prices and US soyoil futures
Sitapati does not expect the price hikes to have an impact on sales as palm oil-based products, including soap, tend "not to be discretionary" goods that consumers can forgo
Benchmark palm oil futures, which jumped 20 per cent in 2024 to a two-year high, have already lost market share as top importers like India shift to cheaper alternatives such as soybean
Palm oil accounted for 56 per cent of India's total edible oil imports in the last marketing year, but in the first three months of the current year its share fell to 43 per cent
The thin lineup of vessels carrying palm oil at key ports such as Kandla, Haldia, and Krishnapatnam over the next two weeks suggests imports could drop to about 370,000 metric tons in Jan