Edible oil imports in March rise 12% to 11.73 lakh tonne: SEA

New Delhi, India's edible oils imports rose 12 per cent annually to 11.73 lakh tonne in March on higher shipments of crude palm oil, and the imports may be subdued in coming months due to firm global prices and high freight cost amid the West Asia conflict, according to industry body SEA.

In a statement on Monday, the Solvent Extractors' Association of India (SEA) said imports of edible oils increased to 11,73,168 tonne in March from 10,45,281 tonne in the year-ago period.

As per the SEA data, imports of crude palm oil surged to 6,73,965 tonne last month from 3,43,949 tonne in March 2025.


Non-edible oil imports fell to 13,401 tonne from 27,742 tonne.

Imports of vegetable oils (including both edible and non-edible) increased 11 per cent to 11,86,569 tonne last month from 10,73,023 tonne in March 2025.

India imports palm oil from Indonesia and Malaysia while soyabean oil is sourced from Argentina and Brazil. The country meets more than half of its domestic demand through imports.

During the first five months of 2025-26 marketing year, the total vegetable oil imports rose 8 per cent to 65,72,131 tonne from 60,96,923 tonne in the corresponding period of the preceding year.

Edible oil marketing year runs from November to October.

"Going forward, imports are likely to remain subdued in the short term unless global prices soften or currency conditions improve," SEA said.

In the longer term, the association said that India might continue balancing imports with increased focus on domestic oilseed production and diversification of sourcing to mitigate geopolitical risks.

SEA pointed out that the edible oil import in March 2026 declined 10 per cent to 11.73 lakh tonne from 12.92 lakh tonne in the previous month.

"The month-on-month decline in March suggests a clear demand correction driven by high international prices, rupee depreciation, and comfortable domestic availability, particularly from the mustard crop," the association said.

The sharp rise in imports during December 2025 to February 2026 points to front-loading by importers amid concerns over global supply disruptions, especially due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict affecting sunflower oil, supply-side uncertainties in Southeast Asia for palm oil, and elevated freight costs linked to the West Asia tensions, the SEA said.

"Additionally, strong global demand, including diversion toward biofuels in major producing countries, has kept prices firm, prompting Indian refiners to adopt a cautious 'wait-and-watch' approach," it added.