Imports of `sensitive' items up 39 per cent in April-February 2009-10

The total imports under the `sensitive list' of goods and services in the country rose 39 per cent to Rs59,981.11 crore during the first 11 moths (April-February) of the financial year 2009-10 from Rs43,208.84 crore in the corresponding period of the previous financial year (April-February 2008-09).

Gross import of all commodities during the period, however, was lower at Rs11,80,124 crore during April-February 2009-10 compared with Rs12,89,412 crore during the same period of the previous fiscal.

Thus, import of sensitive items rose to 5.1 per cent of the country's gross imports during April-February 2009-10 from 3.4 per cent during the previous financial year. 

Imports of automobiles, cotton and silk, products of SSI, alcoholic beverages and marble and granite have shown a decline at broad group level during the period. Imports of all other items, viz, edible oil, pulses, fruits and vegetables (including nuts), rubber, spices, milk and milk products, tea and coffee and food grains have shown increase during the period under reference. 

In the edible oil segment, imports have increased to Rs24025.63 crore during April-February 2009-10 from Rs14,530.72 crore during the corresponding period of the previous year.

Imports of both crude edible oil as well as refined oil have gone up by 72.5 per cent and 35.6 per cent, respectively, the release noted. The increase in edible oil imports is mainly due to substantial increase in import of crude palm oil and its fractions, it added.

Imports of sensitive items from Indonesia, China, Brazil, Myanmar, Malaysia, People's Republic of Korea, United States, Japan, Canada, Argentina, Ukraine, Thailand, Australia, Czech Republic etc have gone up while those from Germany, Cote D' Ivoire, Tanzania etc have shown a decrease, the release added.