New Delhi: The social media campaign against the Chinese goods during Diwali is having an impact on the ground.
Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) said due to social media campaign there has been a 20 per cent decline in demand so far from retailers. “There has been a debate in social media on boycotting Chinese product. These products are already with the wholesalers but there has been a 20 per cent decline in demand from the retail traders as they are worried whether people will actually buy it or not,” said CAIT, secretary general Praveen Khandelwal.
Mr Khandelwal said CAIT will go with the mood of the people and honour their calls for ban on Chinese products. “We expect that the goods which are in stock with the wholesalers will get sold over time, otherwise a lot of cash of traders will get stuck,” he said. There has been a social media call for boycott of Chinese goods in during Diwali after Uri terror attcak as people are upset due to China’s opposition to a UN ban on JeM chief Masood Azhar.
However, on imposing ban on Chinese products, commerce minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Friday that it was not possible to impose a blanket ban on imports from any one country.
She also said that till now no discussion has taken in the government to withdraw most favoured nation status to Pakistan.
“Whatever be the reason, we don't have any instrument to prevent imports from only one country. Today there may be reason A, B or C but because of that, we want to stop imports from one country that will not be possible. But if one wants to restrict the imports because that country is giving more subsidy or on quality issue, then we have instruments like we can impose anti-dumping duties or safeguard measures,” Ms Sitharaman said.
Meanwhile Chinese media claimed that boycott call of its products in India have failed as sales of Chinese products in the country hit a record high during the festive season.
“However, regardless of the passionate boycott in India and Indian media’s hysteric reports of a ‘doomsday’ for Chinese products, Chinese goods have never been condemned by Indian government and are popular across the nation,” it said.
