- Palm olein, sunflower oil shipments decline m-o-m in Sep
- Crude oils gain share in import mix during Nov’25-Sep’26
India’s edible oil imports declined 1.8% m-o-m to 1.54 million tonnes (mnt) in September 2026, from 1.57 mnt in August, as lower shipments of refined palm olein and crude sunflower oil outweighed an increase in crude palm oil imports. Imports also fell 6.9% y-o-y from 1.66 mnt. However, cumulative imports during November 2025-September 2026 rose 3.3% to 15.16 mnt, indicating continued reliance on overseas supplies.
Sep imports decline as sunflower oil shipments fall
India imported 1,544,447 tonnes (t) of edible oils in September, compared with 1,572,136 t in August and 1,658,553 t a year earlier.
Crude sunflower oil imports declined to 108,837 t from 160,639 t in August, while refined palm olein imports fell to 2,905 t from 22,700 t. These reductions drove the monthly decline.
Crude palm oil imports, however, increased to 817,884 t from 782,761 t in August. Soybean oil imports eased to 614,965 t from 628,736 t, partly offsetting the increase in palm oil shipments.
Non-edible oil imports, used in industries including soap manufacturing and oleochemicals, totalled 35,196 t in September, compared with 35,100 t a year earlier. Combined edible and non-edible oil imports reached 1,579,643 t.
Cumulative imports maintain y-o-y growth
During the first 11 months of the oil year, that is, November 2025-September 2026, cumulative edible oil imports increased to 15,164,380 t from 14,683,200 t in the corresponding year-earlier period, a rise of approximately 3.3%. Including non-edible oils, cumulative imports reached 15,463,812 t, up 2.9% from 15,031,123 t a year earlier.
Monthly volumes remained volatile throughout the period. Edible oil imports rose to 1,609,286 t in August after reaching 1,549,485 t in July and 1,203,330 t in June. The September decline therefore reflects a monthly slowdown rather than a reversal of the cumulative growth trend.
Crude oils gain share in import mix
Crude edible oil imports increased to 14,423,939 t during the cumulative period from 12,993,972 t a year earlier. In contrast, refined oil imports fell to 740,441 t from 1,689,228 t.
Crude oils consequently accounted for approximately 95% of cumulative edible oil imports, compared with 88% in the corresponding previous-year period. Refined oils’ share declined to around 5% from 12%.
Refined soybean oil imports through Nepal contributed 605,896 t during the cumulative period, highlighting the continued role of cross-border supply channels in India’s edible oil trade.
Overall, India’s edible oil imports remained below year-earlier levels in September, although cumulative volumes continued to rise. The growing share of crude oils and the contraction in refined oil imports indicate a substantial shift in the import mix. In the near term, import volumes are likely to depend on the relative landed costs of crude and refined oils, international palm and soybean oil prices, currency movements and domestic consumption.
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