India's Edible Oil Imports Fall 7 Per Cent To 15.44 Lakh Tonnes In September, Says SEA

New Delhi, October 15, 2026: Edible oil imports to India declined by 7% in September, reaching 15.44 lakh tonnes, primarily due to a significant drop in shipments of crude sunflower oil, according to the Solvent Extractors’ Association of India (SEA). This marked a notable decrease from the same period last year, when imports were at 16.58 lakh tonnes.

Data released by the SEA on Thursday revealed that imports of crude sunflower oil plummeted to nearly 1.05 lakh tonnes in September, down from 2.72 lakh tonnes in the previous year. Despite this, overall edible oil imports increased by 3% to 151.64 lakh tonnes in the first 11 months of the 2025-26 oil year (November-October), compared to 146.83 lakh tonnes in the same period the previous year.

Total vegetable oil imports, encompassing both edible and non-edible oils, amounted to 154.64 lakh tonnes from November 2025 to September 2026, up from 150.31 lakh tonnes in the corresponding period of the previous year. The SEA reported that refined oil imports experienced a sharp decline to 7,40,441 tonnes during November 2025 to September 2026, compared to 16,89,228 tonnes in the same period of the previous year.

Consequently, refined oil's share in total edible oil imports dropped to 5% from 12%. This decrease was mainly attributed to negligible imports of refined palmolein from Indonesia and Malaysia. Refined edible oil imports surged to 1,44,23,939 tonnes, up from 1,29,93,972 tonnes, with their share expanding to 95% from 88%. The increase was largely driven by higher imports of crude palm oil, which substituted imports of refined palmolein. Additionally, Nepal's exports of refined soybean oil to India witnessed a significant rise.