The Hindu Business Line : Import of sensitive items up 11.6% in Q1

New Delhi, Aug. 7 Import of sensitive items grew 11.6 per cent in value terms during the first quarter of the current fiscal to Rs 4,877 crore compared with Rs 4,371 crore recorded in the same period last year.

Gross imports of all commodities during April-June 2007 stood at Rs 2,26,321 crore (Rs 1,85,988 crore).

An official release said that import of sensitive items constituted 2.4 per cent and 2.2 per cent of the gross imports during the first quarter of the last fiscal and current fiscal respectively.

Imports of fruits and vegetables (including nuts), products of SSI, spices, marble and granite, tea and coffee and milk and milk products showed a decline at broad group level during April-June 2007.

On the other hand, imports of edible oil, cotton and silk, automobiles, rubber and alcoholic beverages have shown an increase during the period under review.

Edible oil imports have increased in the first quarter of the current fiscal to Rs 2,802 crore as compared to Rs 2,407 crore in the same period last year. Imports of both crude oil as well as refined oil have gone up by 15.7 per cent and 30.9 per cent respectively. The edible oil import increase was mainly due to significant growth in import of crude palm oil and its fractions, which has gone up by 28 per cent.

Imports of sensitive items from Indonesia, China, Brazil, Germany, Japan, Thailand and Australia have gone up during April-June 2007. On the other hand, imports from Argentina, the US, Cote D Ivoire, Malaysia, Benin, Sri Lanka and Egypt have shown a decrease.

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