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Import of 300 sensitive items up 40% in Q1

The import of 300 sensitive items during the first quarter of the current fiscal registered an increase of nearly 40 per cent due to a significant rise in the import of crude palm oil and soyabean oil.

According to data released by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade on Monday said imports of the sensitive items had increased to Rs 3323.37 crore (Rs 33.233 billion) during the period April-June 2002-03 as against Rs 2378.84 crore (Rs 23.788 billion) in the corresponding period last year.

The increase in imports was mainly due to a hike in imports of edible oils, which jumped to Rs 2396 crore (Rs 23.96 billion) during the first quarter this fiscal from Rs 1378 crore (Rs 13.78 billion) in the same period a year ago, an official release said.

However, a major feature of edible oil import is that while the import of crude palm oil increased, that of refined soyabean and palm oil declined, leading to better utilisation of the processing capacity in the country. Import of sunflower oil, both crude and refined, had also declined.

Imports of the other sensitive items pertaining to food grains, cotton and silk products and alcoholic beverages have shown a decline, while imports of milk and milk products, fruit and vegetables, edible oil, marble and granite and automobiles have shown an increase during the period.

Products of concern to the small scale sector which account for 98 tariff lines showed a marginal increase during the period to Rs 28.96 crore (Rs 289.6 million) from around Rs 23.74 crore (Rs 237.4 million) during April-June 2001.

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