Vegetable Oil Imports Rise to 13.70 Lakh Tonnes in May

12-Jun-2026 08:26 PM

Mumbai: Data from the Solvent Extractors' Association of India (SEA), a leading industry body, reveals that the country's total vegetable oil imports rose to approximately 13.70 lakh tonnes in May 2026, marking an 8% increase over the 12.70 lakh tonnes imported in May 2025. Within this total, edible oil imports increased from 12.50 lakh tonnes to 13.40 lakh tonnes, while non-edible oil imports rose from 20,000 tonnes to 30,000 tonnes.

During the period under review, imports of Crude Palm Oil (CPO) rose from 5,05,744 tonnes to 5,46,456 tonnes; Crude Degummed Soybean Oil imports increased from 3,98,585 tonnes to 4,93,854 tonnes; and Crude Sunflower Oil imports surged from 1,83,555 tonnes to 2,95,726 tonnes.

Available data indicates that edible oil imports in May were 2.4% higher than in April, with Crude Degummed Soybean Oil making a significant contribution to this rise.

Soybean oil imports increased rapidly due to a narrowing price gap between palm oil and soybean oil. Between November 2025 and May 2026, CPO imports rose to 45 lakh tonnes.