India palm oil imports fall 19% to a three-month low in March
India cut its March palm oil imports to 689462 metric tons, down nearly 19% from February, as higher tropical oil prices pushed refiners to delay purchases.
India's palm oil imports fell nearly 19% in March from the previous month to 689462 metric tons, their lowest level since December 2025, according to data released by the Solvent Extractors' Association of India. The decline followed a rally in tropical oil prices that tracked energy markets and prompted refiners to delay purchases.
The March volume was down from 847689 tons in February. The trade body's data also showed that imports of soyoil fell 4% to 287220 tons, while sunflower oil imports rose about 35% to 196486 tons. Overall edible oil imports dropped more than 9% month on month to 1.17 million tons, the lowest level since April 2025.
The price move matters because India is the world's biggest edible-oil importer and a key buyer for exporting countries. Lower buying in the short term can tighten stocks at home and support domestic oilseed prices, but it can also force India back into the market later if inventories need to be rebuilt. That makes the March slowdown important for both local crushers and international suppliers.
India buys most of its palm oil from Indonesia and Malaysia, while soyoil and sunflower oil mainly come from Argentina, Brazil, Russia and Ukraine. A Mumbai-based dealer quoted in the report said supplies of rapeseed oil from the new-season crop are increasing and helping to limit imports for now, while buyers wait to see whether overseas prices correct.
If international prices do not ease in the coming weeks, Indian refiners may have to step up imports again to replenish stocks. For agribusiness markets, the March data points to a temporary pause rather than a structural retreat: refiners are responding to higher prices, but the country's underlying dependence on imported vegetable oils remains intact.