New Delhi, June 12: India's edible oil imports rose 6.7 per cent in May to nearly 13.39 lakh tonnes, mainly due to an increase in shipments of crude soybean oil, according to industry body SEA.
Edible and non-edible oil imports
The Solvent Extractors' Association of India (SEA) on Friday released the May import data for vegetable oils, which comprises edible and non-edible oils.
As per the data, edible oil imports increased to 13,38,936 tonnes in May this year from 12,54,883 tonnes in the same month last year. This was driven by imports of crude soybean oil, which rose to 4,93,854 tonnes from 3,98,585 tonnes during the period under review.
Inward shipments of non-edible oils jumped over twofold to 26,202 tonnes last month from 12,040 tonnes in May 2025.
Overall vegetable oil imports
As a result, India's imports of vegetable oils (edible and non-edible) during May 2026 increased 8 per cent to 13.65 lakh tonnes as compared with 12.67 lakh tonnes in May 2025, the association said.
During the first seven months of the 2025-26 oil year, SEA said the total vegetable oil imports rose 12 per cent to 93.65 lakh tonnes from 83.39 lakh tonnes in the corresponding period of the previous year.
Edible oil imports during the November 2025–May 2026 period grew 13 per cent to 92.17 lakh tonnes, as compared with 81.31 lakh tonnes in the year-ago period. Non-edible oil shipments dropped to 1,47,710 tonnes from 2,07,505 tonnes during this time.
Factors driving edible oil imports
SEA noted that the country's edible oil imports in May increased primarily because of higher imports of crude soybean oil, as the price premium of soybean oil over palm oil narrowed, improving its competitiveness.
Effective June 1, the government raised the tariff value of crude palm oil (CPO) to USD 1,218 per tonne and RBD (refined) palm oil to USD 1,222 per tonne, while slightly reducing the tariff value for crude soybean oil.
"No imports of RBD Palmolein were recorded during May 2026. Cumulative imports of RBD Palmolein during November 2025–May 2026 declined sharply to 47,270 tonnes from 8,26,800 tonnes in the corresponding period of the previous year," SEA said.
"The decline reflects the government's policy of maintaining a higher duty differential between crude and refined oils, which has encouraged imports of crude palm oil and supported domestic refining, value addition, and employment generation," it added.
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Trends in refined and crude oils
During the first seven months of the current oil year, SEA said the ratio of refined oil sharply decreased to 3 per cent from 16 per cent, while the crude oil ratio increased to 97 per cent from 84 per cent a year ago.
The association pointed out that refined oil imports from Nepal continued at significant levels. Nepal enjoys nil import duty under the SAFTA Agreement for export to India.
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