Import of sensitive items declines 16 pc in April

New Delhi, July 3 (UNI) India's imports of senstive items declined by 15.8 per cent to Rs 1,118 crore in April this year from Rs 1,328 crore during the corresponding month of last year.

Imports of sensitive items constituted 10.6 per cent and 6.3 per cent of the gross imports of commodities at Rs 17,635 crore and Rs 12,535 crore respectively during the comparable months, an official statement said today.

The items of which imports declined were edible oil, cotton and silk, fruits and vegetables and nuts, as also of marble and granite, all products of small scale industries. However, imports of automobiles, rubber, alcoholic beverages and milk and milk products increased, the statement said.

Import of edible oils decreased from Rs 810 crore in April last year to Rs 625 crore in April this year, while that of crude oil and refined oil went down by 23 per cent and 21.1 per cent respectively.

The fall in edible oil import is mainly due to significant decrease in import of soyabean oil and its fractions, which went down by 62 per cent, the statement added.

While imports of sensitive items from Indonesia, Thailand, Germany, Japan, Pakistan, Bhutan, and United Arab Emirates went up, those from Argentina, China, the United States, Malaysia, Egypt, and Sri Lanka decreased during the period under review.

UNI