Govt orders probe into 'unknown' imports, revenue dept to provide details

India's overall imports stood at $514 billion in 2018-19, up by 11 per cent from the previous year

In a bid to reduce the trade deficit, the government is now taking a closer look into the vast segments of India’s imports that have not yet been properly categorised and remain immune to restrictions.

Thousands of import categories are labeled simply “others” in the official trade classification handbook. Many of these bring in goods worth Rs 100 crore or more. But, little data is available on what these are, said sources in the government.

The issue has become important as the commerce department examines if Chinese goods are being routed to Indian markets through other nations.

To find out