INDIA'S ’s overall exports (merchandise and services combined) in the April-December 2018 period reached an estimated $396.73 billion, recording a growth of 13.79 per cent over the corresponding previous period, according to latest data from the Ministry of Commerce & Industry.
However, overall imports in the period under review were also up, growing 14.63 per cent to touch an estimated $479.46 billion. The overall trade deficit for the period was $82.72 billion. Merchandise exports and imports clocked a deficit of $141.20 billion, while the services sector, for which data were available only up to November, recorded a trade surplus of $58.48 billion for the April-November period, as per available figures.
April-December merchandise exports grew 10.18 per cent year on year to $245.44 billion, while imports grew 12.61 per cent to $386.65 billion.
In the services sector, exports grew 20.18 per cent to $151.29 billion, while imports posted 23.84 per cent growth to reach $92.81 billion.
December merchandise exports were worth $27.93 billion, up 0.34 per cent from $27.83 billion in December 2017. However, in rupee terms, the exports were up 10.48 per cent at Rs.1,97,535.86 crore compared with Rs.1,78,802.77 crore in December 2017.
Merchandise imports in December reached $41.01 billion (Rs.2,90,032.95 crore), compared with $42.03 billion (Rs.2,70,015.44 crore) in December 2017, recording a fall of 2.44 per cent in dollar terms but a rise of 7.41 per cent in rupee terms.
Oil imports in December 2018 were $10.67 billion (Rs.75,486.52 crore) compared with $10.35 billion (Rs.66,458.79 crore) in December 2017, which were 3.16 per cent higher in dollar terms and 13.58 per cent higher in rupee terms.
Oil imports in the April-December 2018 period reached $108.10 billion (Rs.7,55,255.78 crore), compared with $75.67 billion (Rs.4,88,125.91 crore), up 42.85 per cent in dollar terms and 54.73 per cent higher in rupee terms.
