
Trade deficit grows
Why is it in news?
- India's trade deficit widened to $15.71 billion due to the rise in imports.
- The preliminary data is released by the Commerce Ministry.
Details:
- India’s exports slipped marginally by 0.8% in December 2020, contracting for the third straight month.
- Exports in December 2020 stood at $26.89 billion, as compared to $27.11 in the same month of 2019.
- The rate of contraction in the country’s outbound shipments has improved, mainly due to the increase in shipments of gems and jewellery, engineering and chemicals.