India’s merchandise exports jumped to a record high of $45.20 billion in May, driven by strong petroleum and engineering goods exports and a recovery in shipments to West Asia.
Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal attributed the recovery in exports to West Asia to the efforts of trade missions and export promotion agencies.
“June numbers (exports) may also be good as the situation is likely to normalise in West Asia after the peace deal on Monday,” Agrawal said.
India’s merchandise imports also surged to a seven-month high of $73.40 billion in May, primarily due to higher crude oil imports.
India’s trade deficit narrowed from the previous month to $28.21 billion in May. The country’s trade deficit stood at $22.56 billion in May 2025.
First Published: Jun 15 2026 | 4:32 PM IST
