Jan. goods trade deficit narrows sequentially to nine-month low of $17.5 billion
The HinduIndia’s merchandise trade deficit, which had hit a record high of $29.9 billion in October, narrowed sequentially for the third straight month and touched a nine-month low of $17.5 billion in January, provisional estimates released by the Commerce Ministry on Thursday showed. Services exports, whose actual numbers will be released later, are estimated to have expanded 17.5% last month to $32.8 billion, taking the combined export tally to $69.72 billion, 9.28% higher than a year earlier. Commerce Secretary Sunil Barthwal said the uptick in exports was significant as it was achieved “despite the Red Sea crisis, the recessionary conditions in advanced countries and despite the falling commodity prices”. “The merchandise trade deficit during April-January 2023-24 is $207.2 billion, compared to $229.37 billion during April-January 2022-23. a decline of 9.66%,” the ministry said in a statement.