NNA |
Updated: Jul 28, 2022 8:33 AM STI
New Delhi [India], Jul 28 (ANI): India’s total imports from China have increased by nearly 29% over the past five years. Compared with 2017-18 and 2021-22, annual imports from China increased from $89,714.23 million to $115,419.96 million, the Union Minister of State for commerce and industry, Anupriya Patel, in Lok Sabha.
The minister was responding to a question about the details of commodity trade with China over the past five years.
A large part of total imports consists of animal or vegetable fats; ores, slag and ash; mineral fuels, inorganic chemicals, organic chemicals, fertilizers, tanning or dyeing extracts, miscellaneous chemicals, plastics and articles, paper and cardboard, cotton, textile fabrics, footwear, glass and glassware, iron and steel, copper; nuclear reactors, boilers, machines and mechanical devices; electrical machinery, furniture, among others, government data showed.
On whether the government is taking steps to reduce dependence on imports from China, especially since the Galwan clash in mid-2020, the minister said the government has launched Production Linked Incentive Programs (PLIs) in 14 sectors that will make Indian manufacturers globally competitive, attract investment in core competency/advanced technology areas, increase exports, integrate India into the global supply chain and reduce dependence on imports.
The sectors in which the PLI has been announced are major starting materials/drug intermediates and active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), large-scale electronics manufacturing, medical device manufacturing, electronics/technology products, pharmaceutical drugs, telecommunication and network products, food products, white goods. Commodities (AC and LED), high efficiency photovoltaic solar module, automobiles and automotive components, advanced chemistry cell battery, textile products, specialty steel and drones and drone components. These are all sectors that are subject to substantial imports.
“Technical Regulations (TR) have been developed for several products for maintaining the standards/quality of imported products. This will control the import of substandard products,” the minister said.
Several trade remedy actions have been taken against imports from China to protect the domestic industry from serious harm caused by unfair trade, the minister added in her response.
There had been several calls to avoid Chinese products after a border clash with China in 2020 in which 20 Indian soldiers and several PLA soldiers were killed. Following the event, India banned 59 apps including Tik Tok, UC Browser and other apps. Almost all of the banned apps have a preferential Chinese interest, and the majority have Chinese parent companies.
Notably, government procurement portal GeM has made it mandatory for sellers to state “country of origin” on products they wish to sell through the platform, a move to promote Aatma Nirbhar Bharat (self-governing India). Moreover, all e-commerce companies operating in India must mention the country of origin of the products offered for sale. (ANI)
