In the wake of the India-China border clashes and the subsequent hardening of positions on both sides, the worst apprehensions of Indian trade and industry seem to be coming true, market sources said. For over a week now, hundreds of thousands of cargo containers carrying all kinds of import materials from China-Hong Kong, are now grounded at various sea and air ports in the country. These include around 1,000 containers containing critical spares, components and finished units of agriculture sprayers worth over Rs 300 crore, and other ready goods or spares of practically the A-to-Z of Indian industries, triggering alarms in India Inc.

One of the unofficial reasons cited is "complete examination" of all containers originating from China, opening each unit down to the individual packing or box to check the contents, ostensibly on grounds of national security besides stringent scrutiny of all documents, etc. "In Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (Mumbai), around 200 containers of urgently required agro-sprayers and spares are stuck. Farmers all over India need them badly as the sowing season has started. If they don't get it by early-July, their crop season may be ruined and we shall lose our full investments," prominent agro-sector manufacturer-cum-importer Tushar C. Padgilwar told IANS.