Archive · 16 Sep 2026
India Considers Lower Vegetable Oil Import Taxes Amid Inflation
India is thinking about making imported cooking oils cheaper by lowering taxes.
Cooking oil prices have risen by nearly 20% over the past year.
This matters because families use these oils for festival sweets, snacks and fried foods.
India gets nearly two-thirds of its vegetable oil from other countries.
The government wants to help people who are paying more for food.
It also wants to avoid hurting farmers who grow oilseeds in India.
One idea is to reduce the basic import duty by 5%.
Some industry representatives warn that lower taxes could increase demand and push prices higher in exporting countries.
India is considering cutting vegetable oil import taxes to curb rising food prices.
Vegetable oil prices have increased nearly 20% in India over the past year.
India imports nearly two-thirds of its vegetable oil, mainly palm, soy and sunflower oil.
The government is weighing consumer relief while trying to protect oilseed farmers.
A proposed 5% basic-duty cut could support demand but potentially raise global prices.
- Who
- The Indian government, consumers, oilseed farmers and vegetable oil industry participants.
- What
- India is considering reducing import taxes on vegetable oils to lower food prices.
- When
- The consideration was reported as the festival season from September to November began; India last halved the basic crude edible-oil import tax in May 2025.
- Where
- India, which imports vegetable oils mainly from Malaysia, Indonesia, Argentina, Russia and Ukraine.
- Why
- To curb food inflation and support consumers, while attempting to protect domestic oilseed farmers.
Consumer Relief
Farmer and Market Concerns
Effect on domestic prices
Consumer Relief
Lower import taxes could make vegetable oils cheaper and help shield consumers from food inflation.
Farmer and Market Concerns
Increased demand could raise prices in exporting countries, limiting the benefit of lower duties.
Impact on farmers
Consumer Relief
Reducing duties could increase oil availability and help households during the festival season.
Farmer and Market Concerns
A deep duty cut could lower local soybean prices below levels that support domestic oilseed farmers; a senior industry official favored a smaller 5% cut.
Policy effectiveness
Consumer Relief
The government is considering tax reductions as a way to respond to rising food prices.
Farmer and Market Concerns
An industry official said cutting import duties is not an effective way to manage prices because global palm oil and soyoil prices rose after the May 2025 reduction.
- Price increase
- Vegetable oil prices in India have risen by nearly 20% over the last year.
- Import dependence
- India meets nearly two-thirds of its vegetable oil demand through imports.
- Main imported oils
- Palm oil, soyoil and sunflower oil.
- Potential tax change
- The government could lower the basic import duty by 5%.
- Previous tax change
- In May 2025, India halved the basic import tax on crude edible oils to 10%.
- Effective total duty
- The earlier change lowered the total duty on crude palm, soy and sunflower oils to 16.5%.
- Festival period
- Peak demand runs from September to November, when households make sweets, snacks and fried foods.