Import of sensitive items rise over 42 per cent in April-November 2011

The share of sensitive items in the country's overall imports rose substantially, both in actual and percentage terms, amidst an over 64 per cent surge in imports of edible oils and other farm products.

Import of sensitive items into the country rose to Rs67,264 crore during the first eight months of the current financial year (April-November 2011-12), a 42.3 per cent increase from such imports worth Rs47,260 crore in the similar period of the previous year.

Import-sensitive items accounted for 4.7 per cent of the country's overall imports, worth around Rs14,35,305 crore during April-November 2011, against 4.4 per cent of the Rs10,85,781 crore imports during the same period last year.

Import of milk and milk products and foodgrains, however, declined at broad group level during the period.

Import of all other items, viz, edible oil, fruits and vegetables (including nuts), pulses, automobiles, rubber, products of SSI, cotton and silk, spices, alcoholic beverages, marble and granite and tea and coffee increased during the April-November 2011 period.

Edible oil imports increased over 64 per cent to Rs31,066.5 crore during April-November 2011 compared with Rs18,890 crore in the same period last year.