With the government imposing a 20 per cent basic customs duty on various edible oils to support domestic farmers, GlobalData said, this is expected to have a wide-ranging effect across the food sector. The duty hike is announced on crude edible oils, such as sunflower, soybean, and palm oil. Shravani Mali, Consumer Analyst at GlobalData, said, “According to the statistics published by the Solvent Extractors’ Association of India, the import of edible vegetable oils registered an annual uptick of 1.2 per cent, during the first eight months of 2024. However, the increase in import duty on crude edible oils can spark concerns among consumers and foodservice operators and may affect sales during the festive season, starting in October.”