25 countries have restricted Chinese dairy products.
India on Thursday banned the import of Chinese milk and milk- related products, which have been found to be contaminated with toxic chemicals.
“The Chinese import of dairy products including milk and milk products appearing under Chapter 4 of Schedule – I of ITC (HS) Classifications of Export and Import Items is prohibited for three months with immediate effect and until further orders,” a notification by Directorate General of Foreign Trade said on Thursday.
It said the import of the banned products will not be permitted even under transitional arrangements, which usually allow importers to honour existing commitments.
Industry insiders termed this move as a precautionary measure. “India does not import milk or milk products, especially from China. We are net exporters and last year exported 70,000 tonnes of dairy products, which is about 1 per cent of the total milk production,” said Kuldeep Saluja, managing director, Sterling Agro.
With Thursday’s move, India has joined the list of nearly 25 countries, which have restricted or recalled Chinese dairy products.
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Dairy products produced by nearly 20 companies were found to contain melamine, a chemical used in plastic and tan leather which has killed four infants and left thousands sick in China. Some sellers use it in diluted milk to make its protein content appear higher.
Chinese dairy producers were using this chemical to cut cost of production.
More than 13,000 children have been admitted to hospitals in China after consuming toxic milk adulterated with melamine.
In a statement earlier this week, the World Health Organisation asked countries to be cautious about contamination in dairy products other than milk imported from China.
Though India does not import milk or skimmed milk powder from China, it does import small quantities of processed dairy products such as cheese and spreads.
According to the data available with the commerce ministry, India had imported about 10 tonnes of cheese in the financial year that ended March 31.