Russia disrupts sunflower oil shipments to India amid port problems

Problems with port infrastructure in the Black Sea have disrupted Russian sunflower oil shipments to India. According to Reuters, a 20 thsd ton cargo was cancelled after the supplier was unable to fulfill the contract due to damage to port facilities. Sandeep Bajoria, President of the International Sunflower Oil Association, said such cancellations are extremely rare in the market.

In addition, around 60 thsd tons of sunflower oil shipments to India have been delayed due to the war and logistics disruptions. Russian exporters are attempting to redirect shipments from the Black Sea to Baltic ports, including St. Petersburg and Ust-Luga. However, the alternative route increases transportation costs and adds approximately 10 days to delivery times.

India relies almost entirely on imports to meet its sunflower oil demand, requiring around 250 thsd tons per month. Due to loading delays at Russian and Ukrainian ports, October shipments could fall to 160 thsd tons. Meanwhile, the country’s sunflower oil stocks have already declined following below-average imports in recent months.

Amid disruptions to sunflower oil supplies and rising demand ahead of the festive season, Indian importers have stepped up palm oil purchases. In just three days this week, the country bought around 150 thsd tons of crude palm oil for November–December delivery. For comparison, average monthly palm oil imports stood at approximately 632 thsd tons during the year to October 2025.

Higher palm oil purchases by India could support global prices and help reduce stocks in major producing countries, particularly Indonesia and Malaysia. Meanwhile, problems with Russian exports are intensifying competition between vegetable oils and forcing Indian importers to seek alternative sources of supply. Further developments will depend on the stability of Black Sea logistics and the ability of Russian and Ukrainian exporters to redirect shipments to alternative routes.

Tags: Russia, sunflower oil, India