The latest government data reveals a notable increase in India’s merchandise trade deficit for October 2023, marking an 18 per cent year-over-year (YoY) surge at $31.46 billion, up from $26.3 billion in October 2022.
As reported by Livemint, the figures exceeds may economists, projections, as exports rose by 6 per cent YoY to $33.57 billion, and imports surged by 11 per cent to YoY to $65.03 billion.
The unexpected rise in the trade deficit has sparked attention, highlighting a growing gap between imports and exports.
Economists, who had anticipated a deficit of $20.50 billion for October, now confront the reality of a wider disparity between expectations and actual trade performance.
On a month-on-month basis, both exports and imports witnessed a decline, with exports at $34.47 billion and imports at $53.84 billion in September 2023.
Shifting focus to the services sector, October's exports and imports were valued at $28.70 billion and $14.32 billion, respectively, compared to September figures of $29.37 billion and $14.91 billion.
The unexpected trade deficit rise emphasises the need for a closer examination of the factors contributing to the growing imbalance between imports and exports in India's trade landscape.
By NAYAN DWIVEDI
https://swarajyamag.com/news-brief/indias-october-trade-deficit-widens-to-3146-billion-with-6-per-cent-increase-in-exports-and-11-per-cent-surge-in-imports