India fears cheap Chinese ultrasounds are causing female abortions Any curbs on trade with China is a sensitive issue - both countries are anxious to boost bi-lateral trade. Officials have been advised they cannot ban the ultrasounds from being imported, but believe they can find ways to make them more expensive. The Health Ministry has written to the Excise department asking for an investigation into the imports. "There is an urgent need therefore to formulate appropriate policy guidelines to regulate their unhindered proliferation," a ministry of health letter explained. Chinese machines are cheaper than Indian ones and we have noticed a growing trend to import Chinese USG machines in India. Some cases have also been noticed where Chinese machines were used for sex determination. "We cannot ban the imports so this could be one of the methods to stop its spread," said one official, who asked not to be named.