China's Industrial Association Strongly dissatisfied by Indian toy ban

    Citing quality concern and a sharp increase in China toy imports, India's Directorate General of Foreign Trade of the Commerce Ministry imposed import ban of the Chinese toys as of Jan. 23.

    The six-month-long ban targeted imports with the international tariff numbers of 9501, 9502 and 9503. Specific brand names were not identified.

    "The sharp increase argument was untenable," the statement said. Customs figures showed China's toy exports to India declined 31.89 percent from 169.77 million sets in 2007 to 115.63 million sets, the statement said.

    The association also noted that Chinese toys have been made strictly in line with domestic and overseas quality standards and safety requirements and were safe to play with.

    "The abrupt ban has caught Chinese toy makers and exporters, as well as Indian importers, off guard and would inflict heavy losses upon every one involved," the statement said.

    Sino-Indian trade frictions emerged after India launched 17 trade investigations in China-made products beginning last October. The investigations involve products with a total worth of 1.5 billion U.S. dollars. These include sodium nitrite, sodium carbonate and tyre.

    China's Ministry of Commerce already expressed "serious concerns" over India's intensive trade probes on Monday after a meeting between deputy Commerce Minister Zhong Shan and Indian ambassador to China Nirupama Rao.

    The two had discussed the toy issue in particular while China hoped to solve trade frictions through bilateral consultation among governments and industrial levels, according to China's Commerce Ministry.

    Toy imports from China each year account for more than 50 percent of the retail market in India, with an estimated value at more than 500 million U.S. dollars in 2007, according to the All India Toy Manufacturers Association.

    Data from China showed the country's trade with India, its 10th largest trade partner, rose 34 percent to 51.78 billion U.S. dollars last year.