Import of sensitive items up 33%

Import of refined oil saw a huge jump of 132 per cent, followed by 52.6 per cent in alcoholic beverages and 48.9 per cent in cotton and silk during the April-December period of fiscal 2008-09.

The import of other sensitive items like rubber, marble and granite, automobiles and auto-parts also saw a significant increase in the third quarter of 2008-09, according to the official data released on Tuesday.

However, the overall import of sensitive items went up by 33 per cent, compared with the 44.8 per cent increase in India's total imports.

The average import of sensitive items grew at a lesser pace than the country's total imports, thanks to foodgrain import that shrank by 98.6 per cent.

The sensitive items, though constitute 3.4 per cent of the total import basket, they are monitored by the government to see whether they are causing any adverse impact on the domestic industry, particularly the small and medium sector.

Import of sensitive items, including from China and the US, shot up to Rs 33,864 crore (Rs 338.64 billion) in the first nine months of this fiscal from Rs 25,454 crore (Rs 254.54 billion) in the same period last year.

Import of alcoholic beverages during the period was

valued at Rs 294 crore (Rs 2.94 billion), while that of cotton and silk was at Rs 1,238 crore (Rs 12.38 billion).

India's total imports stood at Rs 10,03,947 crore (Rs 10,039.47 billion) during April-December, against Rs 6,93,445 crore (Rs 6,934.45 billion) a year ago.

However, import of the sensitive items from countries like Canada and Argentina have shown a decline.

The import of edible oil increased to Rs 10,943 crore (Rs 109.43 billion) during the period from Rs 8,439 crore (Rs 84.39 billion) a year earlier.

"The increase in edible oil imports is mainly due to substantial increase in import of crude palm oil and its fractions," the data said.

Imports of SSI products, including umbrella and locks, increased to Rs 872 crore (Rs 8.72 billion) in April-December 2008, 23.5 per cent more than Rs 706 crore (Rs 7.06 billion) a year ago.

The country's import of items like bamboos, cocoa and copra and sugar too surged by 279.4 per cent to Rs 205 crore (Rs 2.05 billion).