Palm Oil Imports Projected at 9.93 Lakh Tonnes in August
09-Sep-2025 05:29 PM
Mumbai. Although the monthly report of Solvent Extractors Association of India (SEA), a leading industry body, is expected to come out in mid-September, which will give a detailed account of the import of edible oils in India during the month of August, but before that, the estimates expressed by industry-trade analysts show that in August 2025, palm oil imports increased by 16 percent to 9.93 lakh tonnes, which is the highest level in the last 13 months. According to analysts, in view of the peak festive season, Indian refiners imported heavy crude palm oil.
According to a leading analyst, the competitive (lower) price of palm oil compared to rival edible oils like soybean oil and sunflower oil gave Indian buyers a good incentive to increase its imports.
Anyway, there has been huge import of other edible oils including palm oil in India during August to October. During the festive season, the demand and consumption of edible oils increases in India and the price also remains strong.
India is the largest importer of edible oils in the world. According to critics, the highest import of palm oil was recorded in the country during the month of August after July 2024. Its huge import is expected in September as well because the price of soybean and sunflower oil is relatively high.
According to industry and trade critics, on the one hand there was a strong increase in the import of palm oil in August, on the other hand, the import of soybean oil is expected to shrink by about 28 percent to about 3.55 lakh tonnes as compared to July,
while the import of sunflower oil is expected to reach 2.55 lakh tonnes with an increase of 27 percent, which is the highest level of last month. Apart from this, 6000 tonnes of rapeseed-canola oil was also imported in the country during the month of August.
Overall, the gross import of edible oils in the country is estimated to increase by 3.6 percent in August as compared to July and reach around 16 lakh tonnes.