Coronavirus' impact on India's imports from China

China's share in India's imports stand at 14 per cent. Since the outbreak of coronavirus trading between the two countries has been affected. India has a high dependency on China for manufacturing inputs. The industries that are impacted the most are:

APIs stand for active pharmaceutical ingredients.  Indian companies imported 68 per cent of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) from China in FY19. Indian pharma companies have said they have stock for 2-3 months, but the situation could worsen post May 2020.

India's electrical machinery and equipment has 40 per cent dependence on imports from China. However this number has reduced from 59.5 per cent in FY18 to 40 per cent in FY19. Although India has increased production of low-end electronic components. Import dependency on China is its major limitation.

Solar cells and modules which absorb sunlight to generate electricity are imported from China. As per a report from HDFC Bank, India's solar industry has 80 per cent dependence on Chinese manufacturers for solar products. As a result projects could be delayed in the next 4-6 months.

Consumer durables are the products that have a long use life such as air conditioners, refrigerators, and other household appliances. Around 45 per cent of consumer durables are imported from China. Currently an inventory for 2-3 months is being maintained by companies but the impact of the virus outbreak could be felt from Mar-Apr 20. Prices of these goods could rise in near future, according to the report.

Automobile sector, which accounts for 7.5 per cent of India's GDP and a massive 49 per cent of the manufacturing GDP, is already facing slowdown. The coronavirus lockdown has made the situation worse for the auto sector as 10 to 30 per cent of automotive components are supplied from China. If factories do not resume activity in China, it could adversely affect the sector.

Tourism sector comprises a broad chain of services such as tickets and booking, transportation, hotels, food and beverages. Since 2011, tourists from China visiting India were growing at 11% annually. China accounted for 3% of total foreign tourist arrivals in 2019.