Soyoil imports into India are on course to reach a record high this August, as competitively priced supplies and a wave of festive season demand draw refiners away from sunflower oil, whose shipments have been disrupted by the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. Industry dealers say the shift marks one of the clearest signs yet of how the conflict continues to reshape India’s vegetable oil trade nearly four years after it began.
Soyoil Imports Climb Sharply Above Monthly Average
According to four traders directly involved in the trade, who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with their companies’ policies, soyoil imports in August are likely to rise to around 620,000 metric tons. That figure is nearly 46 percent higher than the average monthly import volume of 424,549 tons recorded so far in the current marketing year, which began in November.
Sandeep Bajoria, chief executive of the Mumbai based vegetable oil brokerage Sunvin Group, said soyoil prices have become unusually attractive to Indian buyers. He noted that the combination of competitive pricing and ongoing disruptions to sunflower oil shipments has made soyoil an increasingly practical substitute for refiners preparing for the festive buying season, when edible oil consumption typically rises across the country.
Sunflower Oil Shipments Disrupted by the Russia-Ukraine War
India sources most of its sunflower oil from Russia and Ukraine, two countries whose combined output and export capacity have long made them central to the country’s edible oil supply chain. Dealers say sunflower oil imports are expected to fall to about 180,000 metric tons in August, the lowest monthly figure since February 2026 and a drop of 28 percent from the previous month.
Around 150,000 tons of sunflower oil originating from the Black Sea and scheduled for shipment in August and September have reportedly been delayed because of the conflict. This disruption has had a particularly noticeable effect in southern India, where buyers have traditionally favoured sunflower oil over other alternatives. Faced with limited and delayed supply, many of these buyers are now switching to soyoil to meet processing and distribution needs.
Shifting Trade Routes and a Narrowing Price Gap
The change in demand patterns is also reshaping which ports handle India’s edible oil imports. Alongside the established entry points of Kandla and Jawaharlal Nehru Port on the west coast, the southern ports of Krishnapatnam and Kakinada are now receiving soyoil shipments as well, according to one of the dealers involved in the trade.
Pricing dynamics have reinforced this shift. The premium that soyoil typically commands over palm oil, another major edible oil imported by India, has narrowed considerably in recent weeks, making soyoil a more cost effective choice for refiners weighing their options across the three main import categories of palm oil, soyoil and sunflower oil.
A Recurring Pattern in India’s Vegetable Oil Trade
India remains the world’s largest importer of vegetable oils, and its buying patterns have repeatedly shifted in response to disruptions linked to the war in Ukraine since it began in 2022. Sunflower oil shipments from the Black Sea region have faced intermittent delays and price volatility over that period, prompting Indian refiners to periodically increase purchases of soyoil and palm oil to offset shortfalls.
This August’s expected surge in soyoil imports follows that same pattern, though the scale of the increase and its timing alongside festive demand make it particularly significant for the current marketing year. With around 150,000 tons of sunflower oil still delayed in transit, traders expect the substitution trend to continue in the near term, even as buyers in southern India keep a close watch on when Black Sea shipments might resume their normal schedule.
For now, the combination of competitive pricing and supply uncertainty means soyoil imports are likely to remain elevated, offering a clear illustration of how a conflict thousands of miles away continues to influence day to day sourcing decisions in India’s vegetable oil market.
Published in SouthAsianDesk, August 18th, 2026
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