India's edible oil imports increased 6.7% year-on-year to nearly 13.39 lakh tonnes in May, driven mainly by higher shipments of crude soyabean oil, industry body Solvent Extractors' Association of India (SEA) said on Friday, as reported by news agency PTI.
Import Data Overview
According to SEA data, edible oil imports rose to 13,38,936 tonnes in May 2026 from 12,54,883 tonnes in the same month last year. The increase was led by crude soyabean oil imports, which climbed to 4,93,854 tonnes from 3,98,585 tonnes a year earlier.
Non-Edible and Vegetable Oil Imports
Imports of non-edible oils more than doubled to 26,202 tonnes last month from 12,040 tonnes in May 2025. With both edible and non-edible oils taken together, India's vegetable oil imports rose 8% to 13.65 lakh tonnes in May 2026 from 12.67 lakh tonnes in the year-ago period, the association said.
Seven-Month Trends
During the first seven months of the 2025-26 oil year, total vegetable oil imports increased 12% to 93.65 lakh tonnes from 83.39 lakh tonnes in the corresponding period of the previous year. Edible oil imports during November 2025-May 2026 grew 13% to 92.17 lakh tonnes from 81.31 lakh tonnes a year ago, while non-edible oil imports declined to 1,47,710 tonnes from 2,07,505 tonnes.
Reasons for Increase
SEA said edible oil imports rose in May primarily because the price premium of soyabean oil over palm oil narrowed, making soyabean oil more competitive. Effective June 1, the government raised the tariff value of crude palm oil (CPO) to $1,218 per tonne and RBD palm oil to $1,222 per tonne, while slightly reducing the tariff value of crude soyabean oil.
Refined Oil Imports Decline
No imports of RBD Palmolein were recorded during May 2026. Cumulative imports of RBD Palmolein during November 2025-May 2026 declined sharply to 47,270 tonnes from 8,26,800 tonnes in the corresponding period of the previous year, SEA said. The decline reflects the government's policy of maintaining a higher duty differential between crude and refined oils, which has encouraged imports of crude palm oil and supported domestic refining, value addition, and employment generation, it added.
Share of Refined vs Crude Oils
The association said the share of refined oils in total imports during the first seven months of the current oil year fell sharply to 3% from 16% a year ago, while the share of crude oils rose to 97% from 84%. SEA also pointed out that imports of refined oils from Nepal continued at significant levels, aided by the zero-duty benefit available under the SAFTA agreement.
