India's edible oil imports rose 33.3 per cent in July 2026 to 14.81 lakh tonnes (lt) from 11.11 lt in June, driven by higher demand for palm oil and soybean oil, according to data compiled by the Solvent Extractors' Association of India (SEA). BV Mehta, Executive Director of SEA, said the increase was primarily driven by rising demand for palm oil and soybean oil.
India's edible oil imports rose 33.3 per cent in July to 14.81 lt, propelled by a 49.89 per cent jump in palm oil arrivals and a 31.05 per cent rise in soybean oil, according to SEA data.
July import surge: palm and soybean lead
Palm oil imports — including RBD palmolein, crude palm oil, crude olein and crude palm kernel oil — jumped to 7.30 lt in July from 4.87 lt in June, a gain of 49.89 per cent. Soybean oil imports climbed 31.05 per cent to 4.98 lt from 3.80 lt in the same period, SEA data showed.
| Commodity | July 2026 (lt) | June 2026 (lt) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palm oil (incl. RBD palmolein, crude palm oil, crude olein, crude palm kernel oil) | 7.30 | 4.87 | +49.89% |
| Soybean oil | 4.98 | 3.80 | +31.05% |
| Total edible oils | 14.81 | 11.11 | +33.3% |
Nine-month season: imports up 5 per cent
For the first nine months of the 2025-26 oil year (November-October), total edible oil imports grew 5 per cent. India imported 119.23 lt during October-July of 2025-26 against 113.46 lt in the corresponding period of 2024-25, according to SEA. Mehta noted the latest figures indicate vegetable oil imports have remained higher overall during the current oil year.
During November-July 2025-26, palm oil imports rose 11.51 per cent to 57.45 lt (from 51.52 lt), and sunflower oil advanced 9.77 per cent to 23.48 lt (from 21.39 lt). Soybean oil imports, however, declined 5.63 per cent to 38.20 lt from 40.48 lt.
| Oil (Nov-July) | 2025-26 (lt) | 2024-25 (lt) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palm oil | 57.45 | 51.52 | +11.51% |
| Sunflower oil | 23.48 | 21.39 | +9.77% |
| Soybean oil | 38.20 | 40.48 | -5.63% |
Nepal's refined oil shipments continue
Imports of refined oils from Nepal continued at significant levels, Mehta said. During November-May 2025-26, Nepal exported approximately 3.93 lt of refined oils to India, comprising 3.46 lt of refined soybean oil, 22,361 tonnes of refined sunflower oil, 21,213 tonnes of RBD palmolein and 3,536 tonnes of rapeseed oil.
Nepal's refined oil exports to India were estimated at around 56,000 tonnes in June and 61,000 tonnes in July 2026, consisting mainly of refined soybean oil along with smaller quantities of sunflower oil and RBD palmolein. Nepal enjoys nil import duty under the SAFTA agreement for exports to India, SEA reported.
Major suppliers: Argentina, Russia, Malaysia, Indonesia
According to SEA data, Argentina was the largest supplier of edible oils to India during the first nine months of the 2025-26 oil year, shipping 27.35 lt, including 21.34 lt of crude soybean oil and 6.01 lt of sunflower oil. SEA reported that Russia exported 11.35 lt, comprising 53,650 tonnes of crude soybean oil and 10.81 lt of crude sunflower oil.
Among palm oil suppliers, Malaysia shipped 22.61 lt — 22.39 lt of crude palm oil, 8,000 tonnes of RBD palmolein and 14,850 tonnes of crude palm kernel oil. Indonesia exported 22.36 lt of palm oil, including 21.99 lakh tonnes of crude palm oil and 36,478 tonnes of RBD palmolein, according to SEA data.
Price trends and rupee pressure
Comparing current import price levels with July 2025, Mehta said crude palm oil prices rose 13 per cent, RBD palmolein by 9 per cent, soybean oil by 8 per cent and sunflower oil by 20 per cent. He also flagged the depreciation of the rupee by over 11 per cent over the last year as a cause of concern for Indian importers and refiners.
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