Growth in exports almost four percent,imports register growth of over 15 percent

The Commerce and Industry Ministry has come out with its foreign trade report, which reveals that exports experienced marginal growth, while imports ended up with a negative growth in the month of December last year.

Exports were valued at USD 26346.06 million (Rs.163109.25 crore), which was 3.49 per cent higher in dollar terms (17.24 per cent higher in rupee terms) than the level of USD 25457.54 million (Rs. 139119.85 crore) during December, 2012.

The cumulative value of exports for the period April-December 2013 was USD 230335.72 million (Rs 1386496.32 crore) as against USD 217415.29 million (Rs 1184748.94 crore), registering a growth of 5.94 per cent in dollar terms and a growth of 17.03 per cent in rupee terms over the same period last year.

Imports in the same month were valued at USD 36486.32 million (Rs.225887.93 crore) representing a negative growth of 15.25 per cent in dollar terms and a negative growth of 3.98 per cent in rupee terms over the level of imports valued at USD 43050.57 million (Rs. 235261.91 crore) in December, 2012.

The cumulative value of imports for the period April-December 2013 was USD 340378.21 million (Rs. 2036568.32 crore) as against USD 364242.23 million (Rs. 1983940.59 crore), registering a negative growth of 6.55 per cent in dollar terms and a growth of 2.65 per cent in rupee terms over the same period last year.

According to the ministry, oil imports during December 2013 were valued at USD 13899.6 million which was 1.1 per cent higher than oil imports valued at USD 13755.6 million in the corresponding period in 2012.

Oil imports during April-December 2013 were valued at USD 124958.1 million which was 2.6 per cent higher than the oil imports of USD 121831.8 million in the corresponding period last year.

Non-oil imports during December 2013 were estimated at USD 22586.7 million which was 22.9 per cent lower than non-oil imports of USD 29295.0 million in December 2012.

Non-oil imports during April-December, 2013-14 were valued at USD 215420.1 million which was 11.1 per cent lower than the level of such imports valued at USD 242410.4 million in April-December 2012.

The trade deficit for April-December 2013-14 was estimated at USD 110042.49 million which was lower than the deficit of USD 146826.94 million during April-December, 2012.