India clocks highest-ever exports of $38.19 bn in April

Foreign Trade

- Healthy performance in petroleum products, electronic goods and chemicals sectors

- Oil imports rose by 81.21% to $19.5 bn

- Coal, Coke and Briquettes imports jumped to $4.8 bn from $2 bn in April 2021

- Gold imports dipped to $1.68 bn from $6.23 bn in April 2021

New Delhi: India witnessed record exports volume in April. Exports rose by 24.22 per cent to a monthly record high of $38.19 billion in April, as against $30.75 bn in April 2021, on account of healthy performance by sectors like petroleum products, electronic goods and chemicals, even as trade deficit widened to $20 billion during the month, the commerce ministry said on Tuesday.

The Union Commerce and Industry Ministry in a statement said: "April exports jump 24.22%, continuing the record-breaking 2021-22 performance, resulting in highest ever exports in April."

Commenting on exports, A Sakthivel, FIEO president, said: "The 'highest-ever exports' of over $38 billion, during the first month of the fiscal, shows the continuous impressive performance of the exports sector. The benefits of the newly signed FTAs and the PLI Scheme will further help us in building on the milestones achieved during the previous fiscal." Imports during the month under review grew by 26.55 per cent to $58.26 billion. The trade deficit in April 2021 was at $15.29 billion.

Oil imports during the month rose by 81.21 per cent to $19.5 billion. Coal, Coke and Briquettes imports jumped to $4.8 billion as against $2 billion in April 2021.

Gold imports, however, dipped to $1.68 billion during the month under review from $6.23 billion in April 2021.

Engineering goods exports increased by 15.38 per cent to $9.2 billion while petroleum products exports soared 113.21 per cent to $7.73 billion. However, gems and jewellery exports dipped by 2.11 per cent to $3.3 billion.