IMPORT OF SENSITIVE ITEMS: APRIL-JUNE 2002 - PRESS NOTE

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The total import of 300 sensitive tariff lines for the period April-June 2002 has been Rs. 3323 crore against Rs. 2379 crore for the corresponding period of last year thereby showing a growth of 39.7 %. However this growth is almost entirely due to significant increase in the import of crude palm oil & Soya bean oil. But for this import of all other sensitive items together shows negative growth.

2. Imports of food grains, cotton & silk products and alcoholic beverages have shown a decline at broad group level during the period. Imports of milk & milk products, fruits & vegetables, edible oil, marble & granite and automobiles have shown increase during the period under reference.

3. In the edible oil segment, the imports have increased from Rs.1378 crore last year to Rs.2396 crore for the corresponding period this year. However, significant feature of edible oil import is that while import of crude palm oil has gone up, that of refined Soya bean & palm oil has gone down leading to better utilisation of the processing capacity in the country. However, import of Sunflower oil, both crude & refined, has gone down.

4. Imports from Malaysia, Indonesia, USA, Argentina, Mali & Switzerland etc. have shown some increase while those from Benin, Burkina Faso, Tanzania Rep, Nigeria, Australia etc. have shown some decrease.

IMPORT OF SENSITIVE ITEMS- PROVISIONAL ESTIMATE

Value (Rs. Crore)

Sl.No.	COMMODITY GROUP	No. of Tariff lines	IMPORT
			April-June01	April-June02
1	Milk & Milk Products	22	3.98	14.01
2	Fruits & Vegetables	48	182.28	256.26
3	Poultry	13	0.17	0.00
4	Food Grains	12	1.87	0.18
5	Edible Oil	27	1378.08	2396.24
6	Alcoholic beverages	8	7.09	6.45
7	Cotton & Silk	6	669.83	393.41
8	Marble & Granite	14	1.53	9.89
9	Automobiles	32	17.88	45.09
10	Products of concern to SSI (Umbrella, locks, toys, writing instruments, tiles, glassware etc.)	20	23.74	28.96
11	Others (wheat floor, sugar, cigarette, salt etc.)	98	92.40	172.89
	Total	300	2378.84	3323.37