India halves sunflower oil imports in September

India more than halved its sunflower oil imports in September 2026, reducing purchases to 109 thsd tons from 252 thsd tons a year earlier. According to the Solvent Extractors’ Association (SEA), the decline was mainly driven by disruptions to shipments from the Black Sea region. Ukraine and Russia each supplied 42 thsd tons of sunflower oil to India in September, while the EU accounted for another 21 thsd tons. Nevertheless, total sunflower oil imports in the MY 2025/26 remained unchanged from the previous season at 2.91 mln tons.

Despite stable annual import volumes, the structure of sunflower oil suppliers changed significantly. Shipments from Russia declined from 1.54 mln tons to 1.46 mln tons, while imports from Ukraine fell from 725 thsd tons to 443 thsd tons. Meanwhile, Argentina increased its supplies from 475 thsd tons to 815 thsd tons, and the EU expanded shipments from 28 thsd tons to 129 thsd tons. The decline in Black Sea supplies was therefore accompanied by stronger positions for alternative exporters, particularly Argentina.

Unlike sunflower oil, soybean oil imports increased in September to 615 thsd tons, compared with 529 thsd tons a year earlier. India imported a record 5.65 mln tons of soybean oil in the MY 2025/26. Argentina remained the largest supplier with 2.66 mln tons, while Brazil increased its exports to 1.23 mln tons from 907 thsd tons in the previous season. Shipments from China rose particularly sharply, from 2 thsd tons to 213 thsd tons. Meanwhile, the US supplied no soybean oil to India during the season, compared with 229 thsd tons a year earlier.

Palm oil imports also increased. In September, India purchased 843 thsd tons, up from 729 thsd tons in the same month of 2025, including 356 thsd tons from Malaysia and 337 thsd tons from Indonesia. Total imports for the season reached 8.24 mln tons, compared with 8.01 mln tons a year earlier. Malaysia increased its shipments to 3.12 mln tons, while Indonesia reduced exports to 2.91 mln tons. Palm oil imports are expected to continue rising in October due to its competitive pricing.

Changes in import patterns have been accompanied by a buildup of substantial edible oil stocks in India. By the end of September, inventories at Indian ports had reached 1.2 mln tons, their highest level in three years. High stocks and growing purchases of soybean and palm oils could intensify competition among different edible oils in the Indian market. For sunflower oil exporters, including Ukraine, this creates additional risks of losing market share amid logistics constraints and expanding shipments from Argentina.

Tags: sunflower oil, soybean oil, India, palm oil, impor