Trade gap widens in April-Aug.

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, OCT. 1. The slide in exports continued into August with the April-August 2001 figures revealing a 2.3 per cent decline. Total exports in the first five months of the current fiscal stood at $17.13 billion, lower than the exports of $17.53 billion in the same months of the previous year. In rupee terms, however, exports were valued at Rs. 80,528 crores, up 3.02 per cent from the value of exports during the comparable period of last year.

Imports, on the other hand, grew marginally by 2.46 per cent at $21.74 billion during April-August, up from $21.22 billion in the same months of last year. In this, oil imports were worth $6.48 billion, which is 6.03 per cent lower than imports valued at $6.89 billion during April-August 2000. Non-oil imports during April-August this year were valued at $15.25 billion, which is 6.54 per cent higher than the imports of $14.32 billion in the same months of last year.

Consequently, the trade deficit for April-August 2001 was estimated to be around $4.60 billion which is higher than the deficit of $3.68 billion during the corresponding period of last year.

Figures for August show that exports were valued at $3.63 billion which was 1.06 per cent lower than the exports of $3.66 billion in August last year. Imports during August this year were valued at $4.37 billion, about 9.62 per cent higher than imports of $3.98 billion during the same month of last year.

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