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Indian Exports Contract 22% To 3-Yr Low Of $33bn In June
- Exports contract 22% to 3-yr low of $33bn in June
- 15-07-2023 10:00 AM
India’s exports contracted by 22%, the steepest decline in the last three years, to $32.97 billion in June on account of global demand slowdown, especially in the Western markets like the US and Europe.
According to the data of the commerce ministry, the trade deficit in June stood at $20.3 billion against $22.07 billion in the same month last year due to a fall in exports and imports. The inbound shipments during the month under review declined by a steep 17.48% to $53.10 billion. Exports in May 2020 contracted by 36.47% when the world was reeling under the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Commenting on the numbers, Commerce Secretary Sunil Barthwal said trade sector growth is in the hands of global factors. As the World Trade Organisation (WTO) has projected a slowdown in world trade, “that fear is coming true”, he added.
Citing reasons for the dip in trade growth, he said there is a slowdown in major economies, including the US and Europe; and inflationary pressure. He also attributed the slowdown to the tightening of monetary policies by rich nations as it is affecting manufacturing and businesses.
Export promotion councils are expecting the demand to pick up in the coming months. “From July, there should be pick up,” the secretary said. Cumulatively, exports dipped by 15.13% to $102.68 billion during April-June. Imports dipped by 12.67% to $160.28 billion.
The trade deficit during April-June 2023 improved by 7.9% to $57.6 billion from $62.6 billion in the same period last year.
Oil imports in June contracted by 33.8% to $12.54 billion, while during the April-June quarter, the shipments slipped 18.52% to $43.4 billion. However, gold imports in June rose 82.38% to about $5 billion, while it dipped by 7.54% to $9.7 billion in the April-June quarter.