India's palm oil import curbs could trigger Malaysia, Indonesia price war

The Indian Ministry of Commerce and Industry issued a notification on Wednesday declaring that the import of refined palm oil is amended from 'Free' to 'Restricted'

India’s restrictions on imports of refined palm oil will lead to a loss of market share for Malaysia and spark a price war with rival supplier, Indonesia, a Malaysian industry association said on Thursday.

India, the world’s biggest edible oil buyer, issued a notification on Wednesday amending imports of refined palm oil to “restricted”, a move that industry sources said amounted to an effective ban.

The move was seen as punishing Malaysia, India’s main supplier of refined palm oil, for criticism of its policies by Mahathir Mohamad, the 94-year-old outspoken prime minister of Muslim-majority Malaysia. Indonesia is the world’s biggest exporter of