Higher trade deficit pushes up Q3 CAD to 2% of GDP at $13.5 billion

Net services receipts rose 17.8% during the reporting quarter mainly on the back of a rise in net earnings from software services and travel receipts

The current account deficit rose to 2 per cent of the GDP at $13.5 billion in the December quarter, up from $8 billion or 1.4 per cent in the year-ago period, on the back of higher trade deficit, shows the Reserve Bank data.

The CAD, which shows the difference between foreign exchange earned and spent, stood at $7.2 billion or 1.1 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) in the preceding September quarter, according to data released by the central bank today.

"The widening of the CAD on a year-on-year basis is primarily due to a higher trade deficit which rose to $44.1 billion in the reporting quarter due to a larger increase in merchandise imports relative to exports," the central bank said in a statement.

On a cumulative basis, CAD more than doubled to 1.9 per cent of GDP in the April-December 2017 period from 0.7 per cent in the corresponding period of 2016-17 due to wider trade deficit, which increased to $118.9 billion from $82.7 billion.

Net services receipts rose 17.8 per cent during the reporting quarter mainly on the back of a rise in net earnings from software services and travel receipts.

Private transfer receipts, mainly representing remittances amounted to $17.6 billion, an increase of 16 per cent over a year ago.

In the financial account, net foreign direct investment stood at $4.3 billion, almost 55 per cent less than in the year-ago period when it was at $9.7 billion, the apex bank data showed.

However, net portfolio investment inflows were in the green at $5.3 billion in Q3, compare to an outflow of $11.3 billion in the year-ago period, due to net purchases in both the debt and equity markets.

Net receipts on account of non-resident deposits amounted to $3.1 billion in the reporting quarter as against net repayments of $18.5 billion a year ago.

During the three months to December 2017, the forex kitty swelled by $9.4 billion (on balance of payment basis) as against a depletion of $1.2 billion in Q3 of FY17.

During this period, forex kitty saw an accretion $30.3 billion to the foreign exchange reserves.

Net FDI inflows during April-December 2017 declined to $23.7 billion from $30.6 billion, while net portfolio inflows stood at $19.8 billion during the period as against a net outflow of $3.2 billion a year ago.