India Sunflower Seed Oil Import Market -- HS 1512 Trade Data & Price Trend (Q2 2025)

India Sunflower Seed Oil Import (HS 1512) Key Takeaways

India's sunflower seed oil imports under HS Code 1512 surged in Q2 2025, with crude oils dominating 98% of trade volume at $3.86/kg, reflecting a bulk commodity market. Russia led with 42.6% value share, exposing supply chain risks amid reliance on a few high-volume suppliers like INERCO TRADE SA. The June import spike to $903 million followed India's duty cut to 10%, signaling volatile but opportunistic trade conditions. This analysis covers Q2 2025 and is based on cleanly processed customs data from the yTrade database.

India Sunflower Seed Oil Import (HS 1512) Background

What is HS Code 1512?

HS Code 1512 covers sunflower-seed, safflower, or cotton-seed oil and their fractions, whether refined or unrefined but not chemically modified. This product is a staple in food processing, cooking, and industrial applications, driving consistent global demand due to its versatility and nutritional value. India’s reliance on imports for edible oils, including sunflower seed oil, underscores its significance in both domestic consumption and trade dynamics.

Current Context and Strategic Position

In May 2025, India reduced import duties on crude sunflower seed oil (HS 1512) from 20% to 10% to curb inflation and stabilize domestic prices [ytrade.com]. This policy shift aims to boost crude oil imports while maintaining higher tariffs on refined variants to protect local refiners. India’s sunflower seed oil imports, valued at $545.62 million in April 2025, reflect its strategic dependence on global markets to meet demand [FAS USDA]. With volatile global prices and evolving trade policies, monitoring India’s sunflower seed oil import trends under HS Code 1512 remains critical for market participants.

India Sunflower Seed Oil Import (HS 1512) Price Trend

Key Observations

The India Sunflower Seed Oil Import trend under hs code 1512 showed a strong recovery in Q2 2025, with import values climbing from $545.62 million in April to $903.18 million in June. This quarter-on-quarter growth indicates a resurgence in demand and trade activity following policy adjustments.

Price and Volume Dynamics

After a sharp decline in March to $541.14 million, the hs code 1512 value trend began to stabilize in April and May before surging in June. The sequential increase from April to June reflects renewed import momentum, likely driven by anticipatory buying and inventory adjustments ahead of the monsoon season, when domestic oilseed supplies typically tighten. This pattern aligns with typical industry cycles where importers ramp up purchases to secure stocks before seasonal production dips.

External Context and Outlook

The volatility in imports can be directly attributed to India's reduction of import duties on crude edible oils, including sunflower seed oil, from 20% to 10% effective May 30, 2025, as reported by [USDA FAS]. This policy aimed to curb inflation and support domestic refining, explaining the June spike as importers capitalized on lower costs. Looking ahead, trade flows should remain sensitive to further tariff changes and global price movements, with the USDA FAS noting ongoing efforts to balance domestic supply and affordability.

India Sunflower Seed Oil Import (HS 1512) HS Code Breakdown

Product Specialization and Concentration

In Q2 2025, India's import of HS Code 1512 is heavily concentrated in crude sunflower seed oil, specifically the sub-code for crude, not chemically modified vegetable oils. According to yTrade data, this sub-code accounts for over 98% of the import value and 97% of the weight, with a unit price of 3.86 USD per kilogram. An extreme price anomaly is present in a cotton-seed oil sub-code at 130.74 USD per kilogram, which is isolated from the main analysis due to its outlier nature.

Value-Chain Structure and Grade Analysis

The non-anomalous sub-codes fall into two clear categories based on processing stage: crude oils and refined or other oils. Crude oils, including both sunflower and cotton-seed varieties, have unit prices clustered around 3-4 USD per kilogram, indicating a trade in fungible bulk commodities linked to global price indices. Refined or other processed oils show slightly higher unit prices up to 9 USD per kilogram, suggesting minimal value addition but still operating in a bulk market rather than differentiated goods.

Strategic Implication and Pricing Power

For market players, the high concentration in crude oils under India's HS Code 1512 import structure means suppliers of these commodities hold significant pricing power, while importers should prioritize sourcing crude varieties for cost efficiency. This is supported by India's duty cut on crude edible oils to 10% in May 2025 [ytrade.com], which enhances the attractiveness of crude imports over refined ones. Analysis of HS Code 1512 trade data confirms that strategic focus should remain on bulk crude oil segments to leverage scale and policy benefits.

Check Detailed HS Code 1512 Breakdown

India Sunflower Seed Oil Import (HS 1512) Origin Countries

Geographic Concentration and Dominant Role

Russia is the dominant origin for India's Sunflower Seed Oil imports in Q2 2025, holding a 42.6% value share. Its value share slightly exceeds its weight share of 41.8%, indicating a focus on higher-grade or finished oil variants. The frequency share is lower at 21.3%, pointing to bulk shipments rather than frequent small transactions.

Origin Countries Clusters and Underlying Causes

The origins form three clusters based on trade profiles. Russia and Ukraine make up the volume hub cluster, with high weight and value shares due to their roles as major global producers. Argentina represents a high-yield cluster, with a value share of 23.4% outweighing its weight share of 19.7%, suggesting imports of premium or refined oil. Nepal is the transactional cluster, with a very high frequency share of 44.6% but low value and weight, indicating small-scale, frequent trade possibly due to border proximity or retail-level shipments.

Forward Strategy and Supply Chain Implications

Heavy reliance on Russia and Ukraine for Sunflower Seed Oil imports creates supply chain risks from geopolitical tensions. India's reduction of import duty on crude edible oils to 10% in May 2025 [ytrade.com] may boost imports but underscores the need to diversify sources. Expanding partnerships with countries like Argentina or exploring new origins could enhance stability for HS Code 1512 trade.

Table: India Sunflower Seed Oil (HS 1512) Top Origin Countries (Source: yTrade)

Get Complete Origin Countries Profile

India Sunflower Seed Oil (HS 1512) Suppliers Analysis

Supplier Concentration and Dominance

In Q2 2025, the India Sunflower Seed Oil import suppliers market shows strong concentration. The high value, high frequency group dominates, handling 94.64% of the import value and 87.42% of shipment frequency. According to yTrade data, this cluster represents the typical trade, with large, regular transactions making up most imports. The median import involves substantial volume and consistent supplier engagement.

Strategic Supplier Clusters and Trade Role

The dominant cluster's companies, like INERCO TRADE SA and R.M.C. FOODS PVT LTD, indicate an intermediated market where trading firms lead. This profile of HS code 1512 suppliers points to agent-driven operations, common for commodities. Other groups play smaller roles: high value, low frequency suppliers handle occasional bulk shipments, while low value clusters contribute minimally to volume and value.

Sourcing Strategy and Vulnerability

India's reliance on a few high-volume suppliers creates vulnerability to supply disruptions. The recent import duty cut to 10% for crude oils [FAS USDA] may lower costs and boost imports, but importers should diversify sources to reduce risk and leverage the intermediated model for better pricing.

Table: India Sunflower Seed Oil (HS 1512) Top Suppliers List (Source: yTrade)

Check Full Sunflower Seed Oil Supplier lists

Action Plan for Sunflower Seed Oil Market Operation and Expansion

Strategic Supply Chain Overview

India's Sunflower Seed Oil import market is a bulk commodity trade. Its price is driven by global edible oil indices and geopolitical stability in key origin regions. The market shows extreme concentration in crude oil under hs code 1512 trade data.

This creates two major supply chain implications. Heavy reliance on Russia and Ukraine exposes the Sunflower Seed Oil supply chain to disruption risks. High dependence on a few large trading firms limits negotiating power for Indian importers.

Action Plan: Data-Driven Steps for Sunflower Seed Oil Market Execution and Expansion

• Use hs code 1512 trade data to identify and qualify new suppliers from Argentina and other non-Black Sea origins. This diversifies your supply base and reduces vulnerability to geopolitical shocks.
• Monitor shipment frequency data from high-volume suppliers to predict price movements and secure contracts before bulk arrivals. This allows you to buy at better prices before market saturation.
• Analyze the unit price differential between crude and refined oils in the data to prioritize crude imports. This maximizes cost savings under India's 10% import duty for crude edible oils.
• Track the transactional cluster (e.g., Nepal) for spotting new, small-scale supply opportunities. This helps secure flexible, short-term stock to fill gaps from bulk shipments.

Take Action Now —— Explore India Sunflower Seed Oil Import Data

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. What is driving the recent changes in India Sunflower Seed Oil Import 2025 Q2?

India's sunflower seed oil imports surged in Q2 2025 due to a policy-driven duty cut on crude edible oils from 20% to 10%, which boosted demand. The recovery from April ($545.62M) to June ($903.18M) reflects anticipatory buying ahead of monsoon-related domestic supply constraints.

Q2. Who are the main origin countries of India Sunflower Seed Oil (HS Code 1512) 2025 Q2?

Russia dominates with a 42.6% value share, followed by Ukraine and Argentina (23.4% value share). Nepal contributes high-frequency but low-value shipments due to small-scale trade.

Q3. Why does the unit price differ across origin countries of India Sunflower Seed Oil Import?

Price differences stem from product grades: Russia and Ukraine focus on bulk crude oils (~3-4 USD/kg), while Argentina supplies higher-value refined oils (up to 9 USD/kg). An outlier cotton-seed oil sub-code (130.74 USD/kg) was excluded.

Q4. What should importers in India focus on when buying Sunflower Seed Oil?

Importers should prioritize crude sunflower seed oils (98% of imports) for cost efficiency and leverage large trading firms like INERCO TRADE SA. Diversifying sources beyond Russia/Ukraine is critical to mitigate geopolitical supply risks.

Q5. What does this India Sunflower Seed Oil import pattern mean for overseas suppliers?

Suppliers of crude oils hold strong pricing power due to India’s concentrated demand. Argentina’s premium oil niche offers growth potential, while small-scale suppliers (e.g., Nepal) face limited scalability.

Q6. How is Sunflower Seed Oil typically used in this trade flow?

India primarily imports crude sunflower seed oil (HS Code 1512) for domestic refining and consumption, with bulk shipments linked to global commodity pricing and policy-driven demand cycles.

Detailed Monthly Report

India HS1512 Import Snapshot 2025 APR

India HS1512 Import Snapshot 2025 MAY

India HS1512 Import Snapshot 2025 JUN