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Informist, Monday, Nov. 10, 2025

 

By Taniva Singha Roy and Abhijit Doshi

 

MUMBAI - India's palm oil imports are likely to have fallen to a five-month low in October as higher domestic inventories and muted demand from the food sector due to higher prices discouraged buying, according to trade and industry sources.

 

Edible oil imports in October are estimated to have been in the range of 1.25-1.28 million tonnes. Total imports of edible oils are expected to have fallen 10-12% on year in October, according to estimates accessed by Informist from three trade bodies.

 

In September, the country had imported 1.60 million tonnes of edible oils, with total vegetable oil imports at 1.64 million tonnes, according to data from The Solvent Extractors' Association of India. In the first 11 months of the oil year 2024-25 (Nov-Oct), total vegetable oil imports were at 14.3 million tonnes, down 3% from 14.8 million tonnes a year ago, as per the association.

 

The fall in imports in October can be largely attributed to the fall in palm oil imports due to higher prices, Sunvin Group Chief Executive Officer Sandeep Bajoria said. Moreover, there is higher availability of domestic oilseeds due to the good monsoon and so there is less need to import, he said.

 

Soyoil was the top performer in October among all edible oils, experts said. Import of soyoil in October is estimated to have risen more than 20% to around 425,000 tonnes, SEA Executive Director B.V. Mehta said. This was because of a shift by consumers to alternatives like soyoil as the price differential between palm oil and soyoil narrowed, Bajoria said.

 

Palm oil prices, in terms of cost, insurance, and freight for India averaged $1,164 per tonne in September, up 9% on year, according to a report by India Ratings & Research. Crude soyoil prices were $1,182 per tonne, narrowing the price gap to below $20 per tonne from $120-$140 per tonne earlier.

 

"Palm oil prices have historically been lower than the price of soft oils, namely soybean oil and sunflower oil, which is a key reason for its wide usage in the Horeca (hotel, restaurant, catering sector) and institutional segment," as per the report.

 

Sunflower oil imports in October were up about 8% on year at between 242,000 tonnes and 260,000 tonnes, but slightly lower than in September when arrivals had surged to an eight-month high, traders said. As of Nov. 1, vessels carrying 350,000 tonnes of edible oils were waiting to discharge their cargo at Indian ports, including 167,000 tonnes of palm oil, 156,000 tonnes of soyoil, and 27,000 tonnes of sunflower oil, according to GGN Research.

 

For 2024–25, India's total edible oil imports are estimated at 15.2 million tonnes, down from 16.0 million tonnes the previous year, according to Mehta. However, including about 700,000 tonnes of edible oils imported from Nepal under the South Asia Free Trade Area agreement--which allows zero-duty shipments--the total would be roughly on a par with the volume for 2023-24.

 

The Solvent Extractors' Association of India is expected to release the official import figures for October and for the oil year 2024–25 in mid-November.   End

 

Edited by Rajeev Pai

 

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