Press Information Bureau

Government of India

Ministry of Commerce & Industry

14-May-2012 17:04 IST

The commodity-wise detail ofimport of essential commodities is given in Annexure. Country-wise detail during the period 2009-10, 2010-2011 and 2011-12 (April 2011- Jan.2012) (latest published) is available in the DGCI&S publication in CD form namely ‘Foreign Trade Statistics of India’ (Principal Commodities & Countries) for  March 2010, March 2011 and January 2012 respectively. Such CDs are regularly sent to Parliament Library by DGCI&S.

Import takes place either because the country is short of it, as in the case of pulses and edible oils etc., or because domestic prices are higher.

Annexure

(Value in Rs. Crore)

Source: DGCI&S

This information was given by Shri Jyotiradiya M. Scindia,  Minister of State for Commerce & Industry   in written reply to a question in  Lok    Sabha today.

DS/GK

Import of Essential Commodities reports commodity-wise trade data and identifies shortages and price drivers with official statistics disclosure. Import of essential commodities is reported through a commodity-wise schedule for three periods, explaining imports result from domestic shortages or higher domestic prices and noting that detailed country-wise trade statistics are published on trade statistics CDs supplied to the parliamentary library; the annexure lists import values for staples, oils, fertilizers, petroleum and chemicals with provisional figures for the latest period and annual totals.