Indias veg oil imports hit a record high in Aug; SEA proposes hike in import duty
The Dollar Business Bureau | @TheDollarBiz India’s imports of vegetable oil have skyrocketed to 13.3 lakh tonnes in August 2014, which is up about 76% from year-ago levels and the highest volume imported in a single month since India allowed oil imports under the Open general License (OGL) in 1994. The Solvent Extractors' Association of India (SEA), which has around 875 veg oil companies as members, says that the previous highest monthly veg oil imports was seen in January 2013 at 11.6 lakh tonnes. Despite low production of soybean in India this year, low global prices and burgeoning stocks in key vegetable oil exporting countries, Malaysia and Indonesia, continue to spur imports by India. The FAO vegetable oils sub-index ...