Signs Of Caution : Widening India’s Trade Deficit

India’s trade deficit increased more than predicted in March after narrowing for four months due to weak demand from the US and Europe. This came as exports suffered from the country’s weak economy. According to information released on Thursday by the Indian government, the trade deficit increased to $19.73 billion in December. The difference was $17.43 billion in February, so the reading is larger than the $18.2 billion deficit estimated by economists in a Bloomberg survey.

In March, imports were $58.11 billion, down 7.9% from the same month last year, while exports dropped 13.9% to $38.38 billion. According to projections from the Trade Ministry, service exports increased to $27.75 billion last month, outpacing their $26.95 billion performance in February.

Roaring services Exports are helping to reduce India’s current account deficit while also helping to close the growing goods trade gap. This is relieving pressure on the rupee, one of the best-performing Asian currencies this year and up more than 1% against the dollar. At a news conference in New Delhi, Commerce Secretary Sunil Barthwal stated that exports performed well despite recessionary trends and global challenges because outbound shipments were greater than they had been the previous month. Goods export increased by 6% to $447.5 billion in the last fiscal year, and this development is due to an increase in shipments of petroleum products. The value of crude oil and coal imports, which account for a combined share of more than 36% of India’s inbound cargoes, increased by 16.5% year over year to $714.2 billion last year.

Crude oil prices have decreased from their peak of $128 a barrel last year to their current level of $87, which has helped the third-largest oil user in the world keep expenditures in check. After getting the fuel at a discounted price, imports from Russia were also extended to 369%. India’s exports are under pressure due to worries about a global slowdown. Last year, exports to the nearby countries of Bangladesh and China fell by around 28%.

The International Monetary Fund revised its forecast for global growth and issued a warning that a resurgence of instability in the banking sector might further reduce output. Last week, the Reserve Bank of India took a break from its cycle of tightening to evaluate the effects of its rate hikes to date and support the economy.