Mumbai, Nov 11 : Imports of sensitive items in the first five months this fiscal rose over 30 percent to about Rs. 22,430 crore, compared to Rs. 17,200 crore during the corresponding period last year, data released Wednesday by the commerce ministry showed.

Gross import of all commodities during the period under review was Rs. 497,108 crore as compared to Rs. 648,041 crore in April-August, 2008.

Imports of sensitive items constituted 2.7 percent and 4.5 percent of the gross imports in the period under review and the like five months last fiscal respectively, said an official statement.

Automobile, alcoholic beverage and cotton and silk imports declined during the first five months in 2009-10, while that of edible oil, pulses, fruits and vegetables, rubber, spices, tea, coffee, milk and food grains rose, the data showed.

Edible oil imports increased almost 88 percent to about Rs. 8,995 crore compared to the earlier Rs. 4,790 crore, mainly due to a substantial increase in import of crude palm oil.

Imports from Indonesia, Myanmar, Malaysia, the US, Brazil, Canada, Ukraine, Argentina, Benin, Australia went up, while that from China, South Korea, Japan, Germany, Thailand and the Czech Republic fell. (IANS)