Imports of sensitive items, including edible oil, rose by 30.4 per cent during April-August this year, propelled by a 424.8 per cent jump in the shipments of milk and milk products.
The overall import of the items went up to Rs 22,429 crore during the period from Rs 17,206 crore in the same period last year, according to official data released here today.
Edible oil, milk and milk products fall in the sensitive items category and their imports are monitored by the government to ensure that they are not causing any adverse impact on domestic companies, particularly small and medium firms.
Imports of edible oil rose 87.7 per cent during the period. The imports of edible oil, milk and milk products were at Rs 8,994.36 crore and Rs 96.30 crore in April-August, respectively, against Rs 4,791.49 crore and Rs 18.35 crore in the same period of the previous year.
The increase in edible oil import is mainly due to a substantial increase in import of crude palm oil and its fractions.
However, imports of certain other sensitive items like automobiles, alcoholic beverages and products of small scale industries (SSI) like umbrella, locks and toys dipped during the period, the data said.
Imports of tea and coffee in the period went up to Rs 125.71 crore from Rs 62.87 crore in the same period last year.
India's overall imports (including sensitive items) during the first five months of this fiscal, however, declined by 23.3 per cent to Rs 4,97,108 crore from Rs 6,48,041 crore.