Import of sensitive items up 30.5 per cent in April-February 2008-09

Import of sensitive items into the country increased 30.5 per cent in April-February 2008-09 to Rs43,000.8 crore compared to Rs32,953.9 crore in the corresponding period of the previous year.

Total import of all commodities during the first 11 months of fiscal 2008-09 stood at Rs12,23,213 crore as compared to Rs9,17,179 crore during the same period last year. Import of sensitive items constituted 3.6 per cent and 3.5 per cent of the gross imports during last year and current year respectively.

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

Import of edible oils has increased from Rs10,216.81 crore last year to Rs14,542.29 crore for the corresponding period of this year. The imports of both crude edible oil as well as refined oil have gone up by 30.6 per cent and 126.5 per cent respectively. The increase in edible oil import is mainly due to substantial increase in import of crude palm oil and its fractions.

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