Edible oil imports recorded a 5.55 per cent increase in August driven by higher crude palm oil (CPO) shipments to India.
According to the Solvent Extractors’ Association of India (SEA), India imported 16.21 lakh tonne (lt) of edible oil in August 2025 against 15.36 lt in August 2024. The import of CPO, which contributes a major share in the total edible oil imports to India, witnessed a jump of 39.79 per cent in August. The country imported 9.79 lt of CPO in August 2025 against 7 lt in August 2024.
India imported 123.78 lt of edible oil during the first 10 months of the oil year 2024-25 (November-October) against 134.71 lt in the corresponding period of the previous oil year, registering a decline of 8.11 per cent. (This does not include imports from Nepal.)
India’s CPO imports declined to 50.89 lt during November-August 2024-25 from 59.40 lt in the corresponding period of the oil year 2023-24.
Drastic fall in palmolein shipments
There was a drastic fall in the import of RBD palmolein during the first 10 months of the oil year 2024-25.
BV Mehta, Executive Director of SEA, said the increase in import duty difference between CPO and RBD palmolein from 8.25 per cent to 19.25 per cent with effect from May 31, 2025, made the import of refined oil uneconomic. Following this, imports of refined oil reduced to 5,000 tonne in July 2025 and 8,000 tonne in August 2025 compared 1.36 lt in July 2024 and 92,130 tonne in August 2024.
Terming the government’s decision to increase the duty difference as a bold and timely move, he said it started discouraging import of refined palmolein. This shifted demand back to crude edible oils, thereby revitalising the domestic refining sector.
This step aligns with the Prime Minister’s vision of ‘Make in India’ promoting domestic manufacturing, increasing capacity utilisation, encouraging value addition and creating employment opportunities. It represents a win-win scenario for both the industry and consumers, he said.
Stating that Nepal exported refined soybean oil and sunflower oil and a small quantity of RBD palmolein and rapeseed oil to India under SAFTA agreement at nil duty, he said imports from Nepal reported at 5.89 lt from November 2024 to July 2025. After taking this into account, the total edible oils imports stood at 129.7 lt during the first 10 months of the oil year 2024-25.
Refined vs crude
India imported 9.95 lt of refined oil (RBD palmolein) during the first 10 months of the oil year 2024-25 (16.10 lt during November-August 2023-24), and 113.82 lt of crude edible oils (118.60 lt). The ratio of refined oil decreased to 8 per cent from 12 per cent due to lesser import of RBD palmolein. Crude edible oil ratio is increased to 92 per cent from 88 per cent due to an increase in import of soybean oil.
While India’s soybean oil imports increased to 38.90 lt during November-August 2024-25 (27.14 lt), sunflower oil imports declined to 23.49 lt (31.14 lt) during the period.
Major exporters
During November-August 2024-25, Indonesia exported 22.61 lt of CPO and 8.30 lt of RBD palmolein. This was followed by Malaysia at 20.21 lt of CPO 1.29 lt of RBD palmolein.
India imported 23.85 lt crude soybean degummed oil from Argentina followed by 8.86 lt from Brazil, 1.88 lt from the US, and 1.92 lt from Russia.
India imported 12.02 lt crude sunflower oil from Russia followed by 5.76 lt from Ukraine and 3.77 lt from Argentina.
Published on September 15, 2025