Soybean, Sunflower Oil Imports Jump

07-Jan-2026 11:46 AM

Mumbai. India's edible oil imports increased significantly in December 2025 compared to November. According to industry analysts, imports of soybean and sunflower oil rose sharply during this period, while palm oil imports declined.

Analysts say sunflower oil imports increased by 14.5 percent to 350,000 tonnes, the highest level in the last 17 months. On the other hand, palm oil imports fell by about 20 percent to 507,000 tonnes during the same period, the lowest level in the last eight months.

Generally, demand for palm oil weakens in India during the winter months, so refiners prioritize soft oils like soybean and sunflower oil.

Indian refiners also showed strong interest in importing soybean oil, similar to sunflower oil, with imports estimated to have increased by 37 percent to 508,000 tonnes.

Thus, for the first time in a long time, soybean oil imports are likely to surpass palm oil imports in December 2025.

Due to the sharp increase in soybean and sunflower oil imports, total edible oil imports in December are estimated to have increased to 1.37 million tonnes, 19 percent higher than November's imports.

According to trade analysts, this import figure is for edible oils imported via sea routes and does not include duty-free edible oil imports from Nepal via land routes.

India primarily imports crude and refined edible oils of the palm category from Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand, while soybean oil is imported from Argentina and Brazil, and sunflower oil from Russia, Ukraine, and Argentina.