Lower imports could deplete stocks and support local oilseed prices, but may force the world’s biggest edible oil importer to step up overseas buying in coming months to replenish stocks.

Palm oil imports fell to 689,000 metric tons in March, the lowest since December 2025, down from 847,689 tons in February, per dealer estimates.

Soyoil imports eased 3% month-on-month in March to 290,000 tons, while sunflower oil shipments jumped 36.3% to 198,000 tons.

India’s overall edible oil imports fell nearly 9% from February to 1.18 million tons in March, the lowest since April 2025, as palm oil and soyoil purchases declined, estimates showed.

The figures exclude duty-free shipments arriving via land borders from Nepal, the dealers said.

India is estimated to have imported 60,000 tonnes of edible oils, mainly soyoil, from Nepal in March, said Rajesh Patel, managing partner at edible oil trader GGN Research at Rajkot, Gujarat.

The Solvent Extractors’ Association of India is set to release its March import data by mid-April.

Refining margins for crude palm oil turned negative in March after overseas prices surged, prompting Indian buyers to scale back imports, said Sandeep Bajoria, chief executive of Sunvin Group, a vegetable oil brokerage and consultancy firm.

Malaysian palm oil futures jumped 19.47% in March, marking their strongest monthly gain since April 2022, on expectations that a rally in energy prices, driven by the Middle East conflict, will boost biodiesel demand.

“Supplies are now coming in from the new-season rapeseed crop, which is also helping to curb imports in the short term,” Bajoria said.

India sources most of its palm oil from Indonesia and Malaysia, while soyoil and sunflower oil are imported mainly from Argentina, Brazil, Russia and Ukraine.