Exports post 20.42 pc growth in 9 months

Exports post 20.42 pc growth in 9 months

NEW DELHI, FEB 1: Expor continued to maintain a surge recording a 20.42 per cent growth during April-December this year. The latest monthly trade data released today also showed narrowing of the trade deficit to $5.9 billion during the first nine months of this fiscal as against $8.2 billion in the corresponding period last year.

In rupee terms, the exports went up by 26.14 per cent at Rs 16,828.21 crore in the review month over December 1999. Oil imports during April-December 2000-01 were valued at $12.44 billion, up 78.23 per cent over $6.98 billion registered in the year-ago period.

Non-oil imports, however, dropped by 8.31 per cent to $25.70 billion over $28.03 billion registered in during April-December 1999-2000. Imports during December 2000 were valued at $3.77 billion which was 12.05 per cent lower than $4.29 billion registered in the same month of 1999. In rupee terms, the imports decreased by 5.45 per cent.

Gujarat quake to hit exports

NEW DELHI: Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) said today the devastating earthquake in Gujarat would hit the country's exports. Though a large number of industries had not suffered heavy damage, production was, however, affected, and would continue to be affected as workers and stafff were wholy engaged in safeguarding their families and belongings outside their collapsed houses, FIEO said.

In April-November 2000-01, India had recorded an export growth of 21 per cent, it said. Gujarat was a major export production and marketing centre, specially for gems and jewellery, textiles and related products, drugs and pharmaceuticals, besides items like groundnut and castor oil, FIEO President K K Jain said.

Last year, exports from Gujarat were Rs 17,000 crore, and its share in India's total exports was about 17 per cent, he said adding that the major Port of the state, Kandla had a record traffic of about 406 lakh tonnes in 1999. Other ports of the state had exports traffic of 200 lakh tonnes, he said. "At present, the export shipments from Gujarat had stopped (after the earthquake)," Jain said.