

India eyes China pivot for edible oil supplies to rein in prices
disrupted trade routes and spiked freight and insurance costs.India's annual edible oil demand is around 26 million tonnes (mt), with domestic production meeting only up to 40% of this.According to latest trade data, India imported 14,963 tonnes of palm oil and 175,502 tonnes crude soybean oil from China between November 2025 and February 2026, as against a total of 36,000 tonnes of edible oils in the entire year ended October 2025.This is still a modest figure, given India’s total edible oil imports of around 16 mt. However, the sharp rise in shipments shows a growing willingness among importers to explore non-traditional sources amid tightening global supply conditions.Industry experts see Chinese edible oil imports rising further, as competitive pricing and lower logistics costs will give them an edge over the country's traditional exporters.According to traders, on an average, retail prices have risen by ₹15-20 per litre across edible oils including soybean, rice-bran, cottonseed, palm, groundnut and sunflower over the past one month.
For instance, the price of rice-bran oil has risen from ₹115 to ₹135 per litre, while sunflower oil is up from ₹140 to ₹160 a litre.This price rise has led to concern within the government regarding food inflation and the strain on household budgets. Apart from household use, edible oil is also a key input in several categories of the fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) industry, including food items, cosmetics, soaps, etc.In recent years, China has become a notable global supplier of soybean oil, frequently generating a surplus of the commodity as it is co-produced with oil meal during soybean crushing.“This surplus has led to a highly competitive free-on-board (FOB) price of $1,100 per
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