Exports-Imports through West Bengal EXIM Policy 2009-14 The Ministry of Commerce, Government of India announced its Foreign Trade Policy (2009-14) in August 2009 in the backdrop of a fall in exports due to the global slow down. The short term objective of the Foreign Trade Policy (2000-14) was to arrest and reverse the declining trend of exports as well as to provide additional support especially to those sectors which were hit badly by recession in the developed world, The policy envisaged {an annual export growth of 15% by March 2011 and, to come back on a high export growth path of around 25% per annum in the remaining 3 years of the foreign trade policy ie. up to 2014. The long-term policy objective is to double India’s share in the global trade from the present level of 1.1% by 2020. Ports in West Bengal for Foreign Trade The airports, sea ports and land ports (land custom’ stations) located in West Bengal are playing a crucial role in India’s trade with neighbouring countries and rest of the world, The land custom stations at Petrapole, Mahedipur, Hil (West), Chengrabandha, Year AprilSeptember 2009 ApritSeptember 2008 Ghojadanga, Radhikapur, 9% change Ranaghat, T.T. Shed 2008-2009 (Kidderpore) are playing an 2997-2008 important role in belaterial 94 change trade between India and 596 a97 Bangladesh. Jagannath % change Ghat (River Hooghly) at Howrah is also playing an Table 9.1: Exports and Imports through West Bengal vis important role in trade through river ways to Bangladesh (up to Khulna). The land port at Panitanki is an important port for trade between India and Nepal. The land port at Jaigaon is also playing a very important role in trade between India and Bhutan, Apart from Land Custom Stations, the sea ports and air ports are playing a very crucial role in India’s trade through sea and air with other countries. Development of Infrastructure ‘The State Government has already taken steps to build critical infrastructure particularly for developing infrastructure in different land ports and road connectivity in sea ports under the ASIDE scheme, During the year 2009-10, 6 infrastructure projects received Rs 18.03 crore under ASIDE as the State component and another infrastructure project received a fund of Rs 1 crore under ASIDE as the central component. The infrastructure of world dass standard has already been set up or are under various stages of implementation viz,, Falta Special Economic Zone, Export Promotion Industrial Park at Durgapur, Silpangan at Salt Lake, Manikanchan, Gems & Jewellery Park at Salt Lake, Electronics Complex at Salt Lake, Calcutta Leather Complex at Kariadanga, EM By-pass in South 24 Parganas, Foundry Park at Panchla on Amta-Raniati Road in Howrah district, Rubber Park of Domjur in Howrah district, Plasto Steel Park at Barjora in Bankura district, Food Park at Sankrail vis All india ‘West Bengal All India Export Import Export Import (Rs. cr) (Rs. cr.) (Rs.cr.) (Rs. cr.) 12998 37705 387961 605346 19213 $5662 410805 693394 (32.35 ()32.26 (5.56 (12.70 34851-88341 840660 1374435 29000 73579 6557801012311 2018 20.06 28.19 35.77 23706 62890 571779840506 233 7 1469 20.44 Source : Ministry of Commerce, Gol ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 * 81Table 9.2: Exports through different Ports (Air, Sea, Land Custom Station) of West Bengal {in.c:) Ports AprilSept. AprilSept % change 2008.09 2007-08 % change 2009 2008 Kolkata Sea 6431 12068 (146.71 20605 16428 25.43 Kokata Air 1905 2495 (123.61 58373340 7476 Hili (West) 268 115 133.04 268 652 ()58.90 Kolwalghat (Mahadpur) 386 366 5.46 ns 789 (407.98 Petropole Land 1000 Wit (110.00 2078 3366 (38.27 Ghajadanga 402 220 82.73 530 820 ()35.37 TTShedikhilrour) 1 4 375.00 8 14 (42.86 Changrabandha &l. Stn. 6 3 100.00 12 19 (36.84 Ranaghat 524 574. (908.71 868 1414 (38.61 Falta SEZ 456 416 9.62 937 595 57.48 Manikanchan SEZ 1608 1841 (12.66 29821563 90.79 Total for W.8. 12998 19213 (32.35 34851 23000, 20.18 Total for All India 387961 410805 ()05.56 840660 655780 28.19 in Howrah district, Garments Park at Canal South Road, Belaghata in Kolkata, Apparel Park at Uluberia in Howrah district, Agri Export Zones for pineapples, mangos, litchees, potatoes, vegetables in different cistrcts, cold chains to reduce wastage of vegetables, multipurpose cold-storage for fruits and flowers, new electronics complex at Rajarhat, Bantola, permanent trade fair complex at Kolkata adjacent to Hotel ITC Sonar, industry speciticimulti product SEZs in different locations/distrcts etc. Source :W istry of Commerce, Gol Export Import data of West Bengal The exim data of West Bengal (Table 9.1) reveals that exports and imports were doing consistently well through West Bengal ports during the last couple of years. A decelaration was, however, witnessed during 2009-10 due to the economic slow down. Exports through West Bengal reached a level of Rs 34851 crore during 2008-09 registering a growth of 20.2% as Table 9.3: Share (%) of sea, air and LCSs in the total exports from West Bengal Port April-Sept 2009 Export Share (Rs cr) (%) Sea 6431 49.48 Air 1906 14.66 Les 4661 35.86 Total 12998 100.0 82* ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 April Sept 2008 2008-09 Export Share Export Share (Rs cr) (%) (Rs cr) (%) 12068 6281 20605 59.14 2495 12.99 5837 16.75 4650 2420 8409 2411 19213 100.0 34841 100.0 Source : Ministry of Commerce, GotExport through Sea, Air and LCS during April-Sept 2009 Biss Mar Mics Export through Sea, Air and LCS during AprilSept 2008, Hise Mar Bis Export through Sea, Air and LCS during April-March 2008-09 Biss Mar Bis compared to a growth of 24.7% during the previous year. Exports, however, declined to Rs 12998 crore during the first half of 2009-10 from Rs 19213 crore during April-September 2008, a decline of 32.3% The imports through West Bengal was higher at Rs 88341 crore in 2008-09 from Rs 73579 crore in 2007-08, an increase of 20.1% during 2008-09 against a growth of 17% in the previous year. Imports during the first half of 2009-10 also declined by 32,8% over the corresponding period in the previous year. Port wise export through West Bengal ports Export through Kolkata sea, Kolkata air and Land Custom Stations (Table 9.2) reveals that export through Kolkata sea comprising Kolkata and Haldia Docks declined by 46.7% and Kolkata air by 23.6% during April-September 2009 over the corresponding period in the previous year. Among the Land Custom Stations Hill, Paschim Mediniput, Petrapole, Ghagadanga, Ranaghat, Falta SEZ and Manikanchan SEZ are playing an important role in the trade through West Bengal ports. While exports through Kolkata sea and air declined during the first half of 2009-10, the total exports through Land Custom Stations increased to Rs 4661 crore in ApritSeptember 2009 from Rs 4650 crore in ApriSeptember 2008. As a result, share of LCSs improved form 24.2% during April September 2008 to 35.9% during April September 2003 in the total exports from West Bengal