Slowdown in export growth; trade deficit lowest in 12 months

Hit by slowdown in the western markets, India's export growth dropped to 3.2 per cent in April, but a sharp deceleration in import expansion resulted in trade deficit narrowing to $13.2 billion, the lowest in a year

Hit by slowdown in the western markets, India's export growth dropped to 3.2 per cent in April, but a sharp deceleration in import expansion resulted in trade deficit narrowing to $13.2 billion, the lowest in a year.

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The drop in the balance of trade (BoT) should reduce pressure on the rupee which has lost value by about 15 per cent against the US dollar since September, 2011.

Exports in April, the first month of the fiscal 2012-13 amounted to $24.5 billion, as per the provisional figures released by Commerce Secretary Rahul Khullar here today.

Imports for the month grew by 3.8 per cent to $37.9, also lowest in a year.

While the pace of export expansion dropped, the silver line is that there was annual accretion in the net value, as opposed to deceleration in March when the shipments contracted by 5.7 per cent.

For the fiscal as a whole, Khullar said, "we should be lucky to get a growth rate of 10-15 per cent...The situation in Europe is disheartening".

Though these are early days, Khullar said "If deceleration in imports continues, the BoT pressure will be lower than last year and if it will stay at $13 billion for the remainder period of the year, then we will end the year with $156-160 billion".

In 2011-12, the country's trade deficit jumped to $185 billion, highest ever in the history.

However, economists read slackening of imports as a sign of a slowdown.