17/08/2012 (Reuters) - India imported 112,611 tonnes of refined palm oil in July, down 9.28 percent from June and slightly above the average of a Reuters poll, data released by a leading trade body showed on Thursday.

Total vegetable oil imports in July were 870,328 tonnes, up from 783,315 tonnes in the previous month, the data from the Solvent Extractors' Association (SEA) showed.

India, the world's No. 1 importer of cooking oils, buys mainly palm oil from Indonesia and Malaysia and a small quantity of soyoil from Argentina and Brazil.

Fears that New Delhi might raise import duty on refined product had deterred buyers during the month, contributors to the survey said.

The Reuters survey had forecast average total vegetable oil imports of 820,500 tonnes in July with the average for refined palm oils at 96,000 tonnes.