The total import of sensitive items for the period April-July 08 has been Rs.9696 crore as compared to Rs.8722 crore during the corresponding period of last year thereby showing an increase of 11.2%. The gross import of all commodities during same period of current year was Rs.421541 crore as compared to Rs.306946 crore during the same period of last year. Thus import of sensitive item constitutes 2.8% and 2.3% of the gross imports during last year and current year respectively.
Imports of edible oil, milk & milk products and food grains have shown a decline at broad group level during the period. Imports of items viz. fruits & vegetables (including nuts), cotton & silk, automobiles, products of SSI, spices, rubber, Alcoholic beverages, marble & Granite and Tea & Coffee have shown increase during the period under reference.
In the edible oil segment, the import has decreased from Rs.3777.8 crore last year to Rs.3698.0 crore for the corresponding period of this year. The import of crude edible oil has gone down by 4.7% and that of refined gone up by 19.9%. The decrease in edible oil import is mainly due to significant fall in import of Soya-bean crude oil which has gone down by 55%.
Imports of sensitive items from Indonesia, Myanmar, China P RP, United States of America, Cote D' Ivoire, Germany, Malaysia, Benin, Thailand, Australia, Egypt, Japan, Ghana, Korea RP, United Kingdom etc. have gone up while those from Argentina, Canada, Sri Lanka DSR and Brazil etc. have shown a decrease.
RJ/MRS