India's edible vegetable oil imports in July 2026 rose to 1.49 million tonnes, the highest level in 10 months, according to trade estimates cited by Reuters. Domestic refiners accelerated stockpiling ahead of the key festival season from August to November, when vegetable oil demand peaks for the year. Palm oil imports jumped 50% month-on-month to 733,000 tonnes, a five-month high, while soybean oil imports rose 32% to 501,000 tonnes, a seven-month high, and sunflower oil imports increased 4% to 253,000 tonnes. Combined imports of the three major vegetable oils climbed 34% from the previous month. Sandeep Bajoria, CEO of Sunvin Group, said Indian vegetable oil refiners are rapidly building inventories after months of slow imports to prepare for festival demand. GGN Research estimates that India's soybean oil imports are likely to stay above 500,000 tonnes per month in August and September, driven by competitive global prices and lower domestic crushing volumes. Analysts view the recovery in import demand from India, the world's largest vegetable oil buyer, as a factor that will help draw down palm oil stocks in Indonesia and Malaysia, support soybean oil exports from Argentina, and potentially boost global futures prices. For Thailand, PCE, a major Thai palm oil exporter, held a 23% market share of the country's total crude palm oil exports in 2025, when Thailand exported a total of 1,227,545 tonnes of crude palm oil.
PETCHSRIVICHAI ENTERPRISE PUBLIC COMPANY LIMITEDIndia's vegetable oil imports surge, boosting demand for palm oil, a key product for Thai exporter PCE.
