India's Exports Jump 15.5% in June, But Trade Deficit Widens to USD 30.43 Billion

India's exports recorded a strong performance in June, but a much steeper rise in imports widened the country's trade gap. According to data released by the Commerce Ministry on Monday, exports increased 15.5 per cent to USD 40.41 billion , while imports surged 31 per cent to USD 70.84 billion . As a result, the trade deficit expanded to USD 30.43 billion , nearly 59 per cent higher than a year ago. Exports had stood at USD 34.98 billion in June 2025, indicating that outbound shipments increased by almost USD 5.5 billion in absolute terms.

Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agarwal said the sharp increase in imports was mainly driven by crude oil, gold, electronics and machinery . Gold imports rose significantly during the April-June quarter, reaching USD 11.01 billion compared with USD 7.49 billion in the same period last year, supported by higher global prices and strong domestic demand.

For the April-June quarter of FY27 , merchandise exports climbed 15.92 per cent to USD 129.32 billion , while imports rose 19.89 per cent to USD 216.18 billion . Including services, India's total exports touched a record USD 232.73 billion , up 11.37 per cent from a year earlier, making it the country's highest-ever first-quarter combined exports figure.

The United States remained India's largest export destination at USD 25.47 billion , followed by the UAE at USD 7.95 billion and Singapore at USD 6.52 billion . Exports to China jumped 27.5 per cent to USD 5.60 billion , while shipments to Australia increased 25.1 per cent and those to Mexico rose 21.5 per cent . Exports to Singapore more than doubled, and strong growth was also seen in Sri Lanka, Tanzania, ASEAN countries and Africa.

Exports to West Asia grew a relatively modest 7.29 per cent to about USD 5 billion in June. At the same time, sectors such as agriculture, engineering goods and pharmaceuticals continued to perform well.

With the India-UK free trade agreement now in force and negotiations for an EU trade pact progressing, the government is hoping that improved market access will help sustain export growth even as elevated crude oil and gold prices continue to keep the import bill high.