Import of sensitive items up by 26.8% in H1FY09

India's import of items which may affect the interest of small scale industries and agriculture grew at a lesser pace by 26.8% than overall imports at 44.9% in the first half of this fiscal.     

Imports of sensitive items stood at Rs 20,560 cr in the first half of this fiscal against Rs 16,216 cr in the same period a year ago, an official statement said today.     

However, imports of milk and its products, and foodgrain declined during the six-month period. During April-September, overall imports rose by 44.9% to Rs 6,61,208 cr compared to Rs 4,56,407 cr in the same period last year, the statement said.     

Import of sensitive items was 3.1% of the gross imports during the period against 3.6% of the last year, it said.     

Overseas purchase of items like automobiles, fruits and vegetables, cotton and silk, products of small scale industries, rubber, spices, alcoholic beverages, marble and granite and tea and coffee have shown an increase during the period.     

In the edible oil segment, import increased to Rs 6,182.89 cr from Rs 6,009.23 cr last year, while crude edible oil imports dipped by 6.5 per cent. Refined oil import went up by 79.2%.     

"The increase in edible oil import is mainly due to substantial increase in import of refined bleached deodorised palmolein," the statement said.     

Imports of sensitive items from Indonesia, China, Korea, Japan, Germany, US Malaysia, Thailand, Italy, Australia, Sweden, UK went up during the first half of this fiscal.     

On the other hand, imports from Argentina, Canada and Brazil declined during the period.