New Delhi, Jan 15 (.) India’s overall trade deficit widened sharply in December 2025, driven by a faster rise in imports even as exports remained broadly flat, according to official trade data released by the Department of Commerce on Thursday here.
Total exports of goods and services stood at USD 74.01 billion in December 2025, marginally lower than USD 74.77 billion recorded in December 2024.
In contrast, overall imports rose to USD 80.94 billion from USD 76.23 billion a year ago, pushing the combined merchandise and services trade deficit to USD 6.92 billion, compared with USD 1.46 billion in December 2024.
On the merchandise front, exports showed a modest improvement, rising to USD 38.51 billion in December 2025 from USD 37.80 billion in the same month last year. However, merchandise imports increased more sharply to USD 63.55 billion, up from USD 58.43 billion in December 2024, adding pressure on the trade balance.
Services exports, a key pillar of India’s external sector, declined during the month. Services exports fell to USD 35.50 billion in December 2025 from USD 36.97 billion a year earlier.
Services imports also edged lower to USD 17.38 billion, compared with USD 17.80 billion in December 2024, providing limited relief to the overall trade gap.
Looking at the cumulative performance, India’s overall trade in goods and services expanded during the April–December period of 2025–26. Total exports during the nine-month period rose to USD 634.26 billion, compared with USD 607.93 billion in the corresponding period of the previous financial year, reflecting a growth of 4.33 per cent.
Imports during April–December 2025–26 increased to USD 730.84 billion from USD 696.37 billion a year earlier, registering a growth of 4.95 per cent. As a result, the cumulative trade deficit widened to USD 96.58 billion, up from USD 88.43 billion in the same period of 2024–25.
Merchandise exports during April–December 2025–26 rose to USD 330.29 billion, compared with USD 322.41 billion in the year-ago period.
Merchandise imports grew at a faster pace to USD 578.61 billion, up from USD 546.36 billion, contributing significantly to the widening trade gap.
. SAS KK