New Delhi: The Centre has raised import duty on crude palm oil to 30 per cent from 15 per cent and on refined variety to 40 per cent from 25 per cent in a bid to curb cheaper shipments and boost local prices.

Import duty on soyabean oil, sunflower oil, canola/mustard oils - both crude and refined - has also been raised.

The duty hike will lift oilseed prices and their availability for crushing in the domestic market, helping the country in capping edible oil imports in the 2017-18 marketing year, which started on November 1.

An inter-ministerial group headed by Union minister Nitin Gadkari and the Economic Advisory Council to Prime Minister (EAC-PM) had examined the local price situation and suggested raising the import duties on edible oils and some oilseeds.

Import duty on crude soyabean oil has been increased to 30 per cent from 17.5 per cent, while refined soyabean oil has been raised to 35 per cent from 20 per cent.

Similarly, import duty on crude sunflower oil has been increased to 25 per cent from 12.5 per cent, while that on the refined variety has been raised to 35 per cent from 20 per cent.

Also, import duty on crude canola/rapeseed/mustard oils has been increased to 25 per cent from 12.5 per cent, while the tax on their refined variety was increased to 35 per cent from 20 per cent.

Domestic oilseed crushers were struggling to compete with cheap imports, reducing demand for local rapeseed and soybeans, even after a steep fall in oilseed prices.