The total import of sensitive items for the period April-July 07 has been Rs 6356 crores as compared to Rs 6301 crores during the corresponding period of last year thereby showing an increase of 0.9%. The gross import of all commodity during same period of current year was Rs 297081 crores as compared to Rs 253546 crores during the same period of last year. Thus import of sensitive items constitute 2.5% and 2.1% of the gross imports during last year and current year respectively.

Imports of fruits & vegetables (including nuts), products of SSI, marble & Granite, Tea & Coffee and milk & milk products have shown a decline at broad group level whereas imports of cotton & silk, automobiles, rubber and Alcoholic beverages have shown an increase.

In the edible oil segment, the import has increased very marginally from Rs.3547.51 crores last year to Rs 3551.15 crores for the corresponding period of this year. The import of crude oil has gone down by 1.7% and that of refined oil has gone up by 36.7%. There is significant growth in import of Crude palm oil and its fractions, which has gone up by 19%.

Imports of sensitive items from Indonesia, United States of America, Brazil, Germany, Japan, Thailand, Australia etc. have gone up while those from Argentina, China P RP, Cote D' Ivoire, Malaysia, Benin, Sri Lanka DSR, Egypt A RP etc. have shown a decrease.

Import of sensitive items shows marginal increase while sectoral and country-specific shifts affect trade composition. Import of sensitive items recorded a marginal year-on-year rise for April-July 2007 while their share of gross imports edged down; key commodity movements included declines in fruits and vegetables, SSI products, marble and granite, tea and coffee, and milk products, and increases in cotton and silk, automobiles, rubber and alcoholic beverages. Within edible oils, crude imports fell modestly, refined oil imports rose markedly, and crude palm oil and fractions grew; country-level sourcing showed mixed increases and decreases across trading partners.