Indian toy dealers run out of stocks due to govt ban on Chinese toys

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NEW DELHI -- Indian toy dealers are running out of stocks of toys and prices of toys have soared by 30 percent to 100 percent due to a government ban on Chinese toys, reported local daily Times of India Saturday.

The report said since the ban on Chinese toys were imposed last month, the stocks of importers and wholesalers have started diminishing.

The report quoted Ashima Razdan, a merchant at the Mama's Little Donut in Panchsheel Enclave market in New Delhi, as saying that as "every toys of branded companies which are available around the world are made in China," the banning of Chinese toys led to retailers selling imported toys like special puppets "gone out of stock".

The report also quoted Saurabh Kharbanda, a merchant of Maya Sports in Janpath in the Indian capital who has been in toy business for over 40 years, as saying that "even internationally renowned brands have stopped their billing and we are not getting stocks".

"Prices of some unbranded toys have even become double or higher. We have never seen such a situation before where getting supplies is becoming next to impossible," the report quoted him as saying.

India imposed ban on Chinese toys on the excuse of concern for public safety and health in January.

Chinese Ministry of Commerce has expressed concern about India' s ban of Chinese toys.