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KARACHI: Pakistan recorded an all-time high import of 3.482 million tonnes of palm oil, worth $3.785 billion, in FY26 as compared to 3.214 million tonnes worth $3.4bn in FY25.
According to data from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), the average price per tonne of palm oil imported in FY26 stood at $1,078 versus $1,056 in FY25.
Pakistan Vanaspati Manufacturers Association (PVMA) Chairman Sheikh Umer Rehan attributed higher palm oil imports to rising demand for ghee and cooking oil as a result of population growth and lower crops such as cottonseed. He said edible oil consumption has increased to 4.8 million tonnes from four million tonnes five years ago. Despite this growth, no edible oil policy has been made since independence, he complained.
He said the local industry faced a problem as the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) was pressurising the manufacturers for paying the general sales tax (GST) on retail price which had previously been charged at ex-mill price.
