Vegetable oil imports decline 7% YoY in July 2026 as crude oil share jumps to 96%: SEA
The Economic Times (14/08/2026) - New Delhi: India's edible oil imports fell 8% in July to 14.81 lakh tonnes, according to industry body SEA.
Edible oil imports stood at 16.16 lakh tonnes in the same month last year.
India's vegetable oil (edible and non-edible) imports declined by 7% year-on-year to 15.25 lakh tonnes in July 2026, compared with 16.48 lakh tonnes imported in the same month last year, Solvent Extractors' Association of India (SEA) said in a statement on Thursday.
In the first nine months of the 2025-26 oil year (November 2025 to July 2026), the vegetable oil (edible + non-edible) imports stood at 121.50 lakh tonnes, compared with 116.03 lakh tonnes in the corresponding period of the preceding marketing year.
The total edible oil imports rose 5% to 119.23 lakh tonnes from 113.46 lakh tonnes in the corresponding period of the previous oil year.
In the import basket, SEA said the ratio of refined oils sharply decreased to 4% from 14%, while crude oil ratio increased to 96% from 86% due to the rise in import of crude palm oil.
India imports palm oil from Malaysia and Indonesia, while the country buys soyabean oil from Argentina and Brazil.