India cuts import taxes on vegetable oils to calm prices

  • Date: 14-Oct-2021
  • Source: Zawya
  • Sector:Economy
  • Country:Gulf
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India cuts import taxes on vegetable oils to calm prices

MUMBAI - India on Wednesday slashed various import taxes on palm oil, soyoil and sunflower oil ahead of key festivals as the world's biggest vegetable oil buyer tries to cool near-record price rises. The tax cuts could bring down local edible oil prices and spur demand and imports, potentially supporting global palm oil, soyoil and sunflower oil prices. The south Asian country slashed its base import tax on crude palm oil, crude soyoil and crude sunflower oil to zero from 2.5%, the government said in a notification. New Delhi also cut the basic import tax on refined palm oil, refined soyoil and refined sunflower oil to 17.5% from 32.5% earlier, it said. India also reduced Agriculture Infrastructure and Development Cess (AIDC) - another tax - on crude palm oil imports to 7.5% from 20%, while AIDC on crude soyoil and crude sunflower oil was reduced to 5% from 20%, the government said in a separate notification. After the cuts, crude palm oil will be subject to a 8.25% tax in total compared to 24.75% earlier, B.V. Mehta, executive director of Mumbai-based Solvent Extractors’ Association of India (SEA) said. "Import duty on CPO has gone down by 16.5% but Indian consumers