Blanket ban on import of Chinese goods not a feasible option: Nirmala Sitharaman

Zee Media Bureau

New Delhi: Terming call for a blanket ban on imports from China by certain sections of society in the country not a feasible option, Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday said such bans can only be imposed based on quality issues. The minister also raised concerns about increasing trade deficit between both countries.

"Just because we may not like certain things about a country is not reason enough to block imports from that country. We could impose anti-dumping duties, but there are established ways to go about it and dumping has to be proved," she told reporters here responding to a query on curbs on imports from China.

"Curbs can only be placed if there are quality issues or if the imports are subsidised or dumped.

"Anti-dumping duties are levied on particular items, on certain tariff lines...they cannot be levied across the board," she added. 

In her bilateral talks with Chinese Vice Minister of Commerce and Finance Wang Shouwen on Thursday, Sitharaman said she raised concerns about India`s growing trade deficit with China. 

"Several issues have remained unresolved since I assumed charge in June 2014. I raised the issue of the difficulties faced by Indian IT companies in China with project approvals with the Chinese minister," Sitharaman said.

"Our pharma companies, for instance, have been recognised by the USFDA (Food and Drug Administration), the European Union. Why is it then that the permission from China is taking so long?" she added.

Sithraman said that the talks had been positive.

"The Chinese minister assured that he will come back to us on the matter, expeditiously. My impression is that they will come back to us sooner. The trade imbalance issue will addressed," she said.

An Indian commerce ministry release here on Thursday said Wang assured that China would act on the concerns expressed by India regarding market access for Indian goods, and said that recently China has quickened the pace of granting clearances to Indian pharmaceutical companies.

(With IANS inputs)