Rising exports, declining imports fail to dent India's trade deficit

India ended April-December 2010 with a higher trade deficit of $82.02 billion compared with the deficit of $80.13 billion reported during April-December 2009 despite rising exports and declining imports into the country.

Exports from the country during December 2010 stood at $22.50 billion (Rs1,01,601 crore), which was up 36.4 per cent in dollar terms and 32.1 per cent higher in rupee terms compared with exports valued at $16.49 billion (Rs76,907crore) during December 2009.

Cumulative value of India's exports during April-December 2010 stood at $164.71 billion (Rs7,51,633 crore), which was up 29.5 per cent in dollar terms and 23.4 per cent higher in rupee terms against $127.18 billion (Rs6,08,882 crore) during the same period last year.

India's imports during December 2010 stood at $25.13 billion (Rs1,13,477 crore), registering a negative growth of 11.1 per cent in dollar terms and 13.9 per cent in rupee terms over imports valued at $28.25 billion (Rs1,31,733 crore) in December 2009.

Cumulative value of the country's imports during April-December 2010 stood at $246.72 billion (Rs11,26,513 crore) against $207.32 billion (Rs9,91,605 crore) - a growth of 19.01 per cent in dollar terms and 13.61 per cent in rupee terms over the similar period last year.

India's crude oil imports fell 16 per cent to $6.93 billion during December 2010 compared with oil imports valued at $8.25 billion in the corresponding period last year.