Imports of edible oils increased to 13.10 lakh tonnes in January
13-Feb-2026 05:14 PM
Mumbai. Data compiled by the Solvent Extractors' Association of India (SOAI), a leading organization of the indigenous vegetable oil-oilseeds industry and trade sector, shows that the total import of vegetable oils (edible and non-edible) in India increased by about 20 percent from 11.20 lakh tonnes to 13.40 lakh tonnes during January 2026 compared to January 2025. Of this, imports of edible oils jumped from 10.80 lakh tonnes to 13.10 lakh tonnes. India mainly imports palm oil, soybean oil, and sunflower oil.
According to the latest data of the association, although the import of crude degummed soybean oil declined from 444,026 tonnes to 278,888 tonnes and crude sunflower oil declined from 288,284 tonnes to 266,575 tonnes in January 2026 compared to January 2025, the import of crude palm oil (CPO) jumped from 240,276 tonnes to 757,088 tonnes during the same period, leading to an increase in total imports.
Importantly, the pace of import of RBD palmolein remains slow. Its import was recorded at 31,995 tonnes in January 2025, which declined to 3800 tonnes in January 2026. During the first quarter of the current marketing season, from November 2025 to January 2026, total imports of RBD palmolein into the country declined to 9,784 tonnes, significantly lower than the total imports of 494,500 tonnes in the November 2024-January 2025 quarter.
Consequently, the share of refined palmolein in total edible oil imports during the period under review declined from 16% to just 2%, while the share of crude edible oils jumped from 84% to 98%. Imports of CPO registered a significant increase.
On May 31, 2025, the government increased the difference in customs duty on imports of crude and refined edible oils from 9.25% to 19.25%, and since then, the pace of refined palmolein imports has slowed.
But under the South Asia Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA), heavy imports of refined edible oils from Nepal at zero duty continue, causing great hardship to indigenous refiners.