Lok Sabha Question No. 45 (STARRED), answered on 2017-02-06
Subject: Import of Chinese Products
Ministry: COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
Asked by: KAPIL MORESHWAR PATIL

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY (DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE)

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 45 TO BE ANSWERED ON 06 th  FEBRUARY, 2017

## IMPORT OF CHINESE PRODUCTS

## *45.    SHRI KAPIL MORESHWAR PATIL:

Will the Minister of COMMERCE & INDUSTRY ( वािणÏय एवं उɮयोग मंत्री ) be pleased to state:

- (a) the major items and total imports from China during the last three years, yearwise;
- (b) whether the import and sale of substandard Chinese goods in Indian markets have been reported recently;
- (c) if so, the details thereof and the reaction of the Government thereto along with the steps taken to check the import/ sale of such products; and
- (d) whether  the  Government  proposes  to  devise  any  mechanism  to  ensure  that  only quality  and  standard  goods,  meeting  the  norms/guidelines  of  Bureau  of  Indian Standards are imported and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) (SMT. NIRMALA SITHARAMAN)

- a) to d) :  A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

*****

## STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (d) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 45   FOR ANSWER ON 06 TH  FEBRUARY, 2017 REGARDING 'IMPORT OF CHINESE PRODUCTS'

- (a) Total imports from China, during the last three years are as below. Details of item wise imports from China during the last three years is annexed.

## Imports from China

(Value in US $ millions)

| 2013-14   | 2014-15   | 2015-16   | 2016-17 (April to Dec)   |
|-----------|-----------|-----------|--------------------------|
| 51,036.16 | 60,413.17 | 61,706.83 | 45,629.11                |

- (b) to (d): Goods are imported into the country subject to all the laws/rules regarding protection of environment, ensuring quality, standards and national security. The Foreign Trade Policy (2015-20) explicitly lays down that whatever domestic Laws/ Rules/ Orders/ Regulations / Technical specifications/ environmental/ safety and health norms  are applicable on domestically produced goods; the same shall apply, mutatis mutandis, to imports.

Except  approximately  five  hundred  tariff  lines  which  are  either  'restricted'  or 'prohibited' for import, all other  goods/ products are ' free' for import, subject to these meeting/fulfilling other statutory requirements/ stipulated conditions.

India has an elaborate and robust legal framework and institutional set up to protect its  environment,  life  and  health  of  its  people,  plants  and  animals.  The  Ministry  of Environment,  Forest  and  Climate  Change  (MoEF&CC)  has  notified  the  Hazardous  Waste (Management,  Handling  and  Transboundary  Movement)  Rules,  2016  for  environmentally sound management of hazardous wastes. For imported food and edible items, Food Safety and standards Act (FSSA), 2006 and Rules there under are applicable. Ministry of Steel has notified the Steel and Steel Products (Quality Control) Order, 2015 prescribing standards for import of steel and steel products.

Further, import of milk and milk products (including chocolates and chocolate products and candies/  confectionary/  food  preparations  with  milk  or  milk  solids  as  an  ingredient)  from China is prohibited till 23.6.2017 or until further orders, whichever is earlier. Also, imports of Toys are subject to prescribed standards. Besides, import of 'Fireworks' is 'restricted' and for last three years no license /authorization have been issued by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade. Government has also imposed prohibition on the import of mobile handsets (mobile  phone)  without  International  Mobile  Equipment  Identity  (IMEI)  No.  or  with  all zeroes IMEI and import of CDMA mobile phones without Electronic Serial Numbers (ESN), Mobile Equipment Identifier (MEID) or all zeroes ESN/MEID.

The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) formulates standards applicable to domestic products and also mandates the use of Standard Marks under a license which mutadis mutandis also apply  to  imported  goods.  Products  have  been  notified  under  compulsory  certification  / registration with one of the objectives of checking influx of substandard products into Indian markets. Presently, there are 108 products covered under Compulsory Product Certification Scheme of BIS and 30 Electronic and IT Goods under Compulsory Registration Scheme of BIS. Till  now,  204  licences  have  been  issued  to  Chinese  manufacturers  for  Steel  products,

Electrical products, Tyres &Tubes etc. as per Product Certification Scheme of BIS. Also, 4636 manufacturers  have  been  granted  registrations for Electronic and  IT  Goods  as  per Compulsory Registration Scheme of BIS

Within  the  above  framework,  items/goods  are  being  imported  to  address  situations  like shortage/ non-availability  of  item,  price/quality  preferences  of  consumers  etc.    and  it  can either  be  used  as  raw  material/  components  for  further  production  or  as  substitutes  for domestically produced goods.  However, concerns of domestic producers, if any, regarding unfair  imports  are  addressed  through  measures  like  anti-dumping  and  countervailing measures.

*****

## Details of top ten items imported from China

## Value in US$ Millions

| S.No.   | Categories                           | 2013-14   | 2014-15   | 2015-16   | 2016-17 (APR TO DEC)   |
|---------|--------------------------------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|------------------------|
| 1       | Bulk Drugs, Drug Intermediates       | 2000.4    | 2088.3    | 2120.1    | 1359.0                 |
| 2       | Computer Hardware, Peripherals       | 4214.3    | 4336.6    | 4413.7    | 3114.1                 |
| 3       | Consumer Electronics                 | 1728.5    | 2026.2    | 2204.2    | 1638.6                 |
| 4       | Electric Machinery And Equipment     | 1726.4    | 1835.0    | 2170.2    | 1520.1                 |
| 5       | Electronics Components               | 1915.3    | 1984.3    | 3514.5    | 2812.0                 |
| 6       | Electronics Instruments              |           |           |           | 1545.1                 |
| 7       | Fertilizers Manufactured             | 1920.4    | 3148.7    | 3261.9    |                        |
| 8       | Industrial. Machinery For Dairy etc. | 2270.4    | 2664.7    | 2866.6    | 2096.6                 |
| 9       | Iron and Steel                       |           | 2713.4    | 2359.3    |                        |
| 10      | Organic Chemicals                    | 1987.7    | 2483.0    | 2416.7    | 1675.0                 |
| 11      | Project Goods                        | 2124.1    |           |           |                        |
| 12      | Residual Chemicals And Allied Prod   |           |           |           | 1190.1                 |
| 13      | Telecom Instruments                  | 7064.7    | 9240.9    | 10093.4   | 8357.3                 |
|         | Total of above top 10 items          | 26952.0   | 32521.0   | 35420.6   | 25307.8                |
|         | Other items                          | 24084.2   | 27892.2   | 26286.3   | 20321.3                |
|         | GRAND TOTAL                          | 51036.2   | 60413.2   | 61706.8   | 45629.1                |