Import of sensitive items during April-July 2011 rose 37.6 per cent to Rs 31,692 crore against Rs 23,039 crore during the same period last year.
Imports of items such as edible oil, automobiles, fruits and vegetables (including nuts), pulses, rubber, cotton and silk, products of small-scale industries, spices, marble, granite and alcoholic beverages increased during the period under reference.
Edible oil import increased from Rs 8,763.7 crore last year to Rs 14,273.6 crore for the corresponding period of this year, an official statement said on Friday.
Imports of crude and refined oil have gone up by 62.4 per cent and 67.3 per cent respectively. The increase in edible oil import is mainly due to the substantial increase in import of crude palm oil and its fractions, the statement added.
Imports of spices soared by 57.7 per cent to Rs 477.51 crore, while that of fruits and vegetables jumped 44.7 per cent to Rs 3,152.61 crore. Import of products of small-scale industries increased by 50.4 per cent to Rs 659.83 crore.
Meanwhile, imports of milk and milk products, tea, coffee and foodgrains have declined at broad group level during the period.
Imports of sensitive items from Indonesia, China, Malaysia, Argentina, Germany, Korea, Ukraine, US, Canada, Japan, Thailand, Benin, Ghana and UK have gone up while those from Myanmar and Australia have gone down.