Import Of Sensitive Items Up 65%

Import of 300 sensitive items, identified by the government, during May this year is estimated to have shot up to around Rs 600 crore compared to about Rs 361 crore in the previous month, representing an increase of over 65 per cent.

Top government officials, however, played down the issue and said that even at Rs 600 crore, the import of the 300 sensitive items was about 10 per cent lower than their May 2000 level.

Officials ruled out any immediate protective measure to check imports and said that import data for a month cannot provide a clear trend. They also said that during April, the imports were less on account of various mandatory standards specified in this year's Exim policy.

The items where imports have registered an increase cannot be ascertained as the government is yet to release the data. An increase in imports took place even as the government restricted the number of entry points for about a fortnight in May.

During the period, importers had complained that their shipments were taking longer to get the clearance from port authorities.

The list of sensitive items includes milk and milk products, fruits and vegetables, tea and coffee, spices, foodgrains, edible oils, alcoholic beverages, rubber, cotton, marble, granite, automobiles and products belonging to the small-scale sector which includes umbrella, toys, locks and writing instruments.

Of the 13 commodity groups under the scrutiny of the