KL says up to India to decide palm oil duty

KL says up to India to decide palm oil duty

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters): Malaysia said on Saturday it will leave it to the Indian government to decide whether to reduce its high import duties on palm oil.

Primary Industries Minister Lim Keng Yaik said enough has been said about the issue and the Malaysian government should not be seen as applying pressure on India.

"The matter has been brought up at all levels during the visit by the Indian Prime Minister here.

"So, we should say no more. We will leave it to the Indian government based on its goodwill," Lim was quoted as saying by the official Bernama news agency.

Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee told his Malaysian hosts during his visit to Kuala Lumpur last week that New Delhi will review its high palm oil import duties.

India, the world's biggest edible oil buyer, has faced big pressure from Malaysia and Indonesia, the world's biggest palm oil producers, to reduce duties.

In February, India slapped its heaviest-ever import duty of 75 percent on crude palm oil and 85 percent on refined palm oil. But it kept its duty on soyoil, palm oil's main competitor, at 45 percent due to World Trade Organization commitments.