The total import of sensitive items for the period April-February 2010 has been Rs.59981.11 crore as compared to Rs.43208.84 crore during the corresponding period of last year thereby showing an increase of 39%. The gross import of all commodities during same period of current year was Rs.1180124 crore as compared to Rs.1289412 crore during the same period of last year. Thus import of sensitive items constitutes 3.4% and 5.1% of the gross imports during last year and current year respectively.

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

In the edible oil segment, the import has increased from Rs.14530.72 crore last year to Rs.24025.63 crore for the corresponding period of this year. The imports of both crude edible oil as well as refined oil have gone up by 72.5% and 35.6% 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 P RP, Brazil, Myanmar, Malaysia, Korea RP, United States of America, 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.       

 

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RJ/MRS

 

Sensitive imports surge, raising their share of total imports as edible oils and food commodities drive increases. Import monitoring for April-February 2010 shows a rise in the value and share of sensitive item imports, increasing their share of total imports from 3.4% to 5.1%, driven by commodity level increases-notably edible oils, pulses, fruits and vegetables, rubber, spices, dairy, tea and food grains-while automobiles, textiles, SSI products, alcoholic beverages and marble and granite declined; edible oil growth reflects higher crude palm oil and fractions, and source country flows vary with increases from several Asian and Americas suppliers and decreases from some European and African sources.