India imported 15.44 lakh tonnes of edible oils in September 2026, 7% less than the 16.58 lakh tonnes imported a year earlier, according to Solvent Extractors’ Association of India (SEA) data reported by The Free Press Journal on 15 October. The fall was driven mainly by crude sunflower oil, imports of which dropped to about 1.05 lakh tonnes from 2.72 lakh tonnes in September 2025.

Edible oil imports also eased from 15.72 lakh tonnes in August, BlinkX reported from the same data, with crude sunflower oil falling to 104,984 tonnes from 155,639 tonnes and refined palmolein to 2,905 tonnes from 22,700 tonnes. Imports of non-edible oils were 35,196 tonnes in September.

Palm fills the gap

The Edge Malaysia, reporting the SEA figures, said palm oil imports rose 4.5% from August to 817,884 tonnes, a seven-month high, while soyoil imports fell 2.2% to 614,965 tonnes. It said sunflower oil imports were the lowest since April 2022.

The publication attributed the drop to war-related disruption of supplies from Russia and Ukraine, saying attacks on Black Sea ports had disrupted loading operations. Citing an industry official and trade sources, it said a shipment of Russian sunflower oil bound for India had been cancelled and other cargoes delayed. It reported a Mumbai-based dealer with a global trading firm as saying that festive-season demand and tight sunflower oil supplies were prompting refiners to buy more palm oil as a substitute.

Eleven months of crude oil gains

For the first 11 months of the 2025-26 oil year, November 2025 to September 2026, edible oil imports rose 3% to 151.64 lakh tonnes from 146.83 lakh tonnes. Total vegetable oil imports, including non-edible oils, reached 154.64 lakh tonnes against 150.31 lakh tonnes, according to SEA data reported by The Free Press Journal and BlinkX.

The mix has moved towards crude oils. Refined oil imports fell to 7,40,441 tonnes from 16,89,228 tonnes, cutting refined oil’s share of edible oil imports to 5% from 12%, while crude edible oil imports rose to 1,44,23,939 tonnes from 1,29,93,972 tonnes. The Free Press Journal reported that refined palmolein imports from Indonesia and Malaysia were negligible. It quoted the SEA as attributing the rise mainly to higher crude palm oil imports replacing refined palmolein, and as saying that refined soybean oil exports from Nepal to India had also increased significantly.

Duty cut came late in the month

In a release issued through the Press Information Bureau on 24 September 2026, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution said the government had cut the basic customs duty on crude sunflower oil to nil from 10% and on crude palm and crude soybean oils to 5% from 10%. It said duty on the respective refined oils had also been reduced, keeping a duty differential of 19.25% between crude and refined edible oils, and that industry had been advised to pass the full benefit on to consumers by promptly revising distributor and maximum retail prices.

Moneylife reported that the new rates took effect from 24 September, that basic duty on refined palm and soybean oils was cut to 27.5% and on refined sunflower oil to 22.5%, both from 32.5%, and that the total import duty on crude palm and soybean oils, including the agriculture infrastructure and development cess and the social welfare surcharge, falls to 11% from 16.5%.

The SEA’s September circular was not published on its website at the time of writing, so F&B Today has relied on published reports of the data. The Free Press Journal and BlinkX reports do not give India’s port or pipeline stocks of edible oil at the start of October.

F&B Today’s reading

  • Analysis, for snack makers, bakers and foodservice operators that specify sunflower oil: the September figures, read with The Edge Malaysia’s report, point to a supply problem in Black Sea logistics rather than in India’s tariff: nil basic duty on crude sunflower oil helps only if cargoes arrive. Buyers should check suppliers’ shipment schedules for the coming months and confirm which palm or soybean blends meet their product specifications.
  • Analysis, for brands and contract packers: with refined oil down to 5% of edible oil imports over 11 months, Indian refiners now process almost all imported volume. Buyers of refined oil have fewer import alternatives if domestic refining margins rise.
  • Analysis, for buyers planning ahead: the October figures will complete the 2025-26 oil year and show whether the 3% rise in imports holds through the festive peak.