Question : Import of Chinese Non-essential Goods

(a) whether the Government has announced strict restrictions on imports of non essential goods from China recently and if so, the details thereof;
(b) the details of number of such non essential goods;
(c) whether the Government has made any assessment on the loss being incurred by the domestic manufacturers due to increase in such imports of such goods from China and if so, the details thereof;
(d) whether the Government has any proposal to ban the import of cheap plastic goods from China due to toxic contamination;
(e) if so, the details thereof indicating the period of ban/restrictions;
(f) whether the Government proposes to review the import policy in this regard and if so, the details thereof; and
(g) the details of other steps being taken by the Government to help in reducing India’s dependence on China and to curb low quality imports from China?

THE MINISTER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
(SHRI PIYUSH GOYAL)
(a) to (c): India does not maintain any country specific import restrictions except for considerations like scientific, environmental, health & life of human, animal and plant. However, the assessments on the effectiveness of various remedial measures, including, restrictions taken to curb non-essential imports takes into account several factors such as existing domestic manufacturing capacities and its utilization, quality of imports, import intensity of exports, provisions of bilateral/multilateral agreements etc.
(d) to (g): Adequate provisions exist to protect the Indian consumers from low quality and harmful imports, as imported goods are subject to domestic laws, rules, orders, regulations, technical specifications, environmental and safety norms. In order to strengthen the implementation of environmentally sound management of hazardous waste in the country, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has notified the Hazardous and Other Wastes (Management & Transboundary Movement) Rules,2016. Further, 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 BIS standards applicable to domestic goods are also applicable to imported goods.

The Government on the recommendation of Food Safety and Standard Authority of India, had prohibited import of milk products including chocolate and chocolate products, candies/confectionaries/food preparations with milk from China due to the concerns regarding high melamine contamination in 2008, which has been extended vide DGFT notification dated 23.04.2019.

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