In 2018, India's trade deficit of goods amounted to around 189.69 billion U.S. dollars, a significant slump after a steady recovery towards the black since 2013.
Balance of trade
The trade balance, also called commercial balance or balance of trade, is the difference between the value of a country’s exports and its imports over a certain timespan. If a country exports more goods or services than in imports, the trade balance is positive – a so-called trade surplus. If a country imports more than it exports, the trade balance is in the red – a trade deficit. Among other factors, trade is affected by production, currency exchange rates, and taxes, and of course by the availability of raw materials and prices of goods.
India’s trade is in the red
The reason for India’s persistent trade deficit is simple: The country imports far more than it exports. India is a very fast-growing economy with the majority of its GDP generated by services, while most of its workforce is employed in agriculture. India’s main imports include chemicals, crude oil, and machinery, while India exports textiles, software, petroleum products, and leather goods. One reason for the increasing trade deficit is probably the price of crude oil and the rapid economic growth, which means that export trade now needs to catch up to the demand.
India: Trade balance of goods from 2012 to 2022
(in billion U.S. dollars)
Characteristic
Trade balance in billion U.S. dollars
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This statistic has been calculated by Statista using data from the World Trade Organization. The trade balance is the value of goods exports minus the value of goods imported. A positive value indicates a trade surplus, a negative value a trade deficit.
The values have been rounded to provide a better understanding of the statistic.
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WTO, & Statista. (October 5, 2023). India: Trade balance of goods from 2012 to 2022 (in billion U.S. dollars) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved July 22, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/263633/trade-balance-of-india/
WTO, und Statista. "India: Trade balance of goods from 2012 to 2022 (in billion U.S. dollars)." Chart. October 5, 2023. Statista. Accessed July 22, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/263633/trade-balance-of-india/
WTO, Statista. (2023). India: Trade balance of goods from 2012 to 2022 (in billion U.S. dollars). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: July 22, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/263633/trade-balance-of-india/
WTO, and Statista. "India: Trade Balance of Goods from 2012 to 2022 (in Billion U.S. Dollars)." Statista, Statista Inc., 5 Oct 2023, https://www.statista.com/statistics/263633/trade-balance-of-india/
WTO & Statista, India: Trade balance of goods from 2012 to 2022 (in billion U.S. dollars) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/263633/trade-balance-of-india/ (last visited July 22, 2024)
India: Trade balance of goods from 2012 to 2022 (in billion U.S. dollars) [Graph], WTO, & Statista, October 5, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/263633/trade-balance-of-india/