November exports up 26.8%

India's exports in November rose an annual 26.8 per cent to $18.9 billion, while imports for the month grew 11.2 per cent on the year to $27.8 billion, provisional data released by Trade Secretary Rahul Khullar showed on Wednesday.

Khullar said the figures could be revised upwards.

India's trade deficit in November stood at $8.9 billion compared with $9.7 billion in October.

India's trade deficit in August had widened to a 23-month high of $13.06 billion and Khullar had said the deficit could touch $135 billion in the current fiscal year to end-March 2011, higher than his earlier forecast for $120 billion.

Asia's third-largest economy is targeting close to 15 per cent export growth in the current fiscal.