Hindi-Chini buy-buy! China pips US to become India's largest trading partner

China is the largest trading partner of India with $118.4 billion two-way commerce in 2023-24, edging past the US, according to data by economic think tank GTRI. Bilateral trade between India and the US stood at &118.3 billion in 2023-24. 

The data showed that India's exports to China rose by 8.7 per cent to $16.67 billion in the last fiscal. The main sectors which recorded healthy growth in exports to that country include iron ore, cotton yarn/fabrics/madeups, handloom, spices, fruits and vegetables, plastic and linoleum.

Washington was the top trading partner of New Delhi during 2021-22 and 2022-23.

Imports from the neighbouring country increased by 3.24 per cent to $101.7 billion. On the other hand, exports to the US dipped by 1.32 per cent to USD 77.5 billion in 2023-24 as against USD 78.54 billion in 2022-23, while imports dipped by about 20 per cent to USD 40.8 billion, the data showed.

The Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) said that from fiscal year 2019 to FY2024, India's trade dynamics with its top 15 trading partners underwent significant transformations, impacting both exports and imports along with the status of trade surplus or deficit across various sectors.

It added that China witnessed a marginal decline in exports by 0.6 per cent, from USD 16.75 billion to USD 16.66 billion, while imports from China surged by 44.7 per cent, from USD 70.32 billion to USD 101.75 billion. "This growth in imports led to an expanding trade deficit, rising from USD 53.57 billion in FY2019 to USD 85.09 billion in FY2024, highlighting concerns over stagnant exports amidst rising imports," GTRI Founder Ajay Srivastava said.

Conversely, it said, trade with the US showed growth, with exports increasing significantly by 47.9 per cent from USD 52.41 billion to USD 77.52 billion.

Imports from the US also grew by 14.7 per cent, from USD 35.55 billion to USD 40.78 billion. This resulted in an expanded trade surplus for India, which grew from USD 16.86 billion to USD 36.74 billion.

According to the commerce ministry data, China was India's top trading partner from 2013-14 till 2017-18 and also in 2020-21. Before China, the UAE was the country's largest trading partner. The US was the largest partner in 2021-22 and 2022-23.

In 2023-24, the UAE with USD 83.6 billion, was the third largest trading partner of India. It was followed by Russia (USD 65.7 billion), Saudi Arabia (USD 43.4 billion), and Singapore (USD 35.6 billion).