Shimla trade body boycotts Chinese products

A trade body in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, has decided to boycott Chinese manufactured products ahead of Diwali due to Beijing's lack of support to New Delhi in its drive to isolate Pakistan.

China, a longstanding ally of Pakistan, has rebuffed India's calls for the United Nations to designate Maulana Masood Azhar, leader of the Jaish-e-Mohammed group that India blames for recent cross-border attacks, as a terrorist.

The president of the Shimla Beopar Mandal (trade association), Inderjeet Singh, said traders have been asked to minimize imports from China and promote domestic products.

"As China is not supporting us internationally, so we the Shimla Beopar Mandal have decided to not support Chinese products. We have got some products from them but now we are telling our traders to not get more items from them. This is how we are boycotting Chinese goods," said Singh.

In the run up to Diwali, people across the country splurge on buying a host of new items for their homes and gifts like clothes, jewellery and sweets etc. for their loved ones. It is considered auspicious to make new purchases at this period.

Every year Chinese products like fancy lights, crackers and a host of decorative items flood Indian markets. Elaborate designs and cheaper prices of Chinese products give a run for money to their Indian counterparts.

Local trader Satish Kapoor said,"We are trying our best to sell Indian products and bulk of our goods is Indian."

"The reason for this is the public sentiment which is against buying Chinese products and we also do not intend to sell Chinese products," he added.

Earlier this week, 55 trade bodies in Gujarat had also announced a boycott of Chinese products and urged consumers to support the same.

China is also leading opposition to a push by the United States to bring India into the NSG which aims to prevent nuclear weapons proliferation by stopping the sale of items that can be used to make nuclear arms.

So far China has refused to soften its stand against New Delhi as it is likely to ruffle feathers in Pakistan, which has responded to India's membership bid with one of its own.

India has expressed concern over the trade deficit that touched USD 46 billion last year. In September this year, data showed India had exported goods worth USD 922 million to China and imported goods worth USD 5.4 billion.

Meanwhile, India's Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said last week that there was no policy or instrument to stop import from China completely.