Trade worth Rs 813 crore generated along India-Pakistan LoC in FY14: Government

NEW DELHI: Trade generated along the Line of Control (Indo-Pak) through Trade Facilitation Centre Chakan-Da-Bagh and Salamabad stood at Rs 813 crore in value terms during 2013-14, Parliament was informed today.

The trade generated along Nathu La Pass (India-China) during the same year was to the tune of Rs 8.91 crore.

"No incidence of adulteration which adversely affected trade has come to the notice of government," Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.

She was responding to queries on the value of trade along the LoC and Nathu La Pass and whether the government has taken note that the trade across the region was affected by adulteration.

In a separate response, Sitharaman said some industries and associations have indicated their sensitivities on products in the metal industries including copper due to imports from Free Trade Agreement (FTA) partners.

The share of preferential imports under FTAs to the total imports for copper products during the period 2013-14 is insignificant, she said.

Moreover, for protecting the interest of the domestic including metal industries, these agreements provide for maintaining sensitive or negative lists of items on which limited or no tariff concessions are granted, she said.

In addition, she said, in case of a surge in imports and injury to the domestic industry, a country is allowed to take recourse to the measures such as anti-dumping and safeguards.