Despite continued trade disruptions in West Asia, the new fiscal year started on a strong note for India’s merchandise exports with shipments in April rising 13.79 per cent year-on-year to $43.56 billion. This was propelled by strong performance in petroleum, engineering goods, electronics, and pharmaceuticals.

Imports rose 10 per cent to $71.94 billion during the month, with the trade deficit to $28.38 billion, according to quick estimates released by the Commerce Department on Friday.

Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal said higher global prices and market diversification by exporters, including to African countries such as Tanzania, were the primary drivers behind the encouraging export growth, even as disruptions in West Asia persist.

India’s exports to West Asia declined 28 per cent to $4.16 billion last month as against $5.78 billion in April 2025 because of the ongoing war in Iran and the trade route blockades, according to numbers shared by the Commerce Secretary at a media briefing on Friday. Imports from West Asia, including that of petroleum, declined 31.64 per cent to $10.47 billion in April 2026.

The US continued to be India’s largest export market in April 2026 with shipments at $8.48 billion compared to $9.38 billion in April 2025. Exports to Singapore during the month increased to $3.2 billion compared to $1.14 billion in April 2025, while shipments to the UAE declined to $2.19 billion from $3.43 billion the same month last year. China was India’s fourth largest export market with shipments in April 2026 valued at $1.77 billion compared to $1.39 billion last April.

India’s goods imports from China, the country’s largest source, increased to $11.97 billion in April 2026 from $9.91 billion in the same month last year. Imports from Russia increased to $7.36 billion in April 2026 from $6.23 billion the previous April, while imports from the US declined marginally to $5.27 billion from $5.53 billion.

Imports from the UAE declined to $4.07 billion in April 2026 from $6.23 billion in April 2025, while imports from Saudi Arabia increased to $3.85 billion from $2.95 billion.

Published on May 15, 2026