New Delhi, Jul 13 (PTI) India's exports rose 15.5 per cent year-on-year to USD 40.41 billion in June, while the trade deficit widened to a five-month high of USD 30.43 billion due to a surge in imports, driven mainly by higher crude oil prices.

While crude oil imports jumped 40 per cent to USD 19.32 billion during the month, the country's overall merchandise imports in June went up by about 31 per cent to USD 70.84 billion.

During the first half of June, oil prices were at around USD 90 per barrel. The prices have now come down to below USD 80 per barrel.

Inbound shipments of precious metals, electronics and machinery too pushed the country's import bill during the last month.

Electronics, machinery and gold imports grew by 58.77 per cent to USD 13.4 billion, 30.9 per cent to USD 5.8 billion, and 7 per cent to about USD 2 billion, respectively, in June.

During April-June this fiscal, exports increased 15.92 per cent to USD 129.32 billion, while imports rose 19.89 per cent to USD 216.18 billion.

Merchandise trade deficit during April-June 2026-27 was USD 86.86 billion as compared to USD 68.75 billion in the same period last year.

The trade gap in June 2025 was USD 19.1 billion and USD 34.68 billion in January this year.

Gold imports in the first quarter of this fiscal year rose to USD 11.01 billion from USD 7.49 billion in April-June last year.

Briefing the media on the data, Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agarwal said India's exports are registering a healthy growth in areas such as electronics, iron ore, handicrafts, meat and dairy products.

The main countries where India's exports recorded a jump in shipments include South Africa, Singapore, China, Oman and Malaysia.

India's exports to West Asian countries rose 7.29 per cent to USD 5 billion in June, he told reporters here.

Exports to West Asia in April and May were down due to the crisis in that region. India used three ports (Duqm, Sohar and Salalah) of Oman to push the shipments in that region.

The US-Iran conflict has severely impacted the movement of ships carrying cargoes in international waters, particularly through the Strait of Hormuz.

Meanwhile, as per government estimates, services exports stood at USD 33.03 billion in June, and imports were USD 17.92 billion. PTI RR RR VHI VHI

Trade deficit expansion accompanies export growth as higher crude oil, electronics, machinery and gold imports outpace merchandise export gains. June trade data shows export growth alongside a wider merchandise trade deficit because imports increased faster than exports. The higher import bill was driven mainly by crude oil, with electronics, machinery and gold also adding to import pressure. April to June figures reflect the same trend, with cumulative imports outpacing export growth and enlarging the merchandise trade gap. Export strength was reported in sectors such as electronics, iron ore, handicrafts, meat and dairy products, while services trade estimates for June indicate a surplus as services exports exceeded services imports.