'Indian imports from China fell in April-July': Goyal to RS amid LAC standoff, coronavirus

Imports of electronic components, telecom instruments, and computer hardware from China saw sharp falls in April-July 2020 compared to same period last year and so did value of total imports, Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said on Wednesday.

In a written response to Rajya Sabha MP Anand Sharma's queries on 'assessment of disruption of imports from China', Goyal informed that India’s imports from China during April-July 2020 decreased to USD 16.60 billion from USD 23.45 billion in corresponding period of previous year. He ted that due to  impact of Coronavirus pandemic, re were several global and domestic supply-side constraints and also a dip in global demand.

He listed  details of imports of top 50 commodities from China in April-July 2020 compared to April-July 2019, and highlighted some of items exhibiting a decline in imports include electronic components, telecom instruments, computer hardware, industrial machinery for dairy, electric machinery, residual chemical and allied products, consumer electronics, electronic instruments, fertilisers, products of iron and steel, etc.

Piyush Goyal said that in order to minimise impact of such disruptions, government has taken steps to expand domestic capacities and has implemented policies to promote domestic manufacturing through ease of doing business and Production Linked Incentives (PLIs) in select sectors including mobile phones and electronic components and medical devices and bulk drugs.

" full impact of se measures on industry will be discernible as global ecomy recovers, and revives from recessionary affects of pandemic," he furr said.

RE | PM Modi Takes A Dig At China, Says 'global Supply Chains Should Be Based On Trust'

RE | India Bans 47 More Apps; Most Are Clones Of 59 Earlier-banned Chinese-origin Apps

Promoting desi apps under govt scheme

Though Commerce Minister didn't directly respond to question regarding fall out of banning of Chinese apps and tre sanctions following dely Galwan clashes in June, Goyal did say that government has launched 'Digital India AatmaNirbhar Bharat Invate Challenge' to give a push to Indian app ecosystem through shortlisting of top domestic apps that have potential to become global competitors in ir respective categories.

Centre has banned over 200 Chinese apps, including popular video-sharing platform TikTok and multiplayer combat game PUBG, since tensions with China escalated after violent clashes in a border post in eastern Lakh that martyred 20 soldiers. Repeated rounds of military and diplomatic negotiations has failed to ease strain.

India has thus launched a concerted effort to reduce tre deficit with its rrn neighbour and has rolled out policies to restrict Chinese investments in key sectors like telecom. New Delhi is also looking to expand tre ties with or Asian ecomic giants like Japan, ASEAN, and Australia and has inked deals to revamp supply chain in Indo-Pacific region to tilt it away from Beijing.

RE | Piyush Goyal Attends Summit With Australia, Japan; Affirms Support To Free & Fair Tre

RE | Trump Vows To End Dependency On Chinese Manufacturing, Supply Chains On Re-election