India's Imports from China Surge to $101 Billion

• 29 Apr 2024

In April 2024, Global Trade Research Initiative’s (GTRI) report revealed a substantial rise in India's imports from China, posing concerns over trade deficit and strategic implications, urging a reassessment of import strategies.

Key Points

• Concerns Over Trade Deficit: GTRI expresses concern over the widening trade deficit with China, noting stagnant exports around $16 billion annually while imports surged, resulting in a cumulative trade deficit exceeding $387 billion over six years.
• Dominance in Industrial Sectors: China emerges as the top supplier in eight major industrial sectors, including machinery, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and textiles, contrary to perceptions that Chinese imports are high only in the electronics sector.
• Export Trends: Recent data from the Commerce Ministry shows increased exports to China in 90 principal commodities out of 161 items shipped, including iron ore, telecom instruments, and electronic components.
• Dependency across Sectors: India's significant reliance on Chinese imports spans various sectors, with China contributing 42% of textile and clothing imports, 40% of machinery imports, and 38.4% of electronics, telecom, and electrical products.
• Strategic Implications: GTRI underscores the profound strategic implications of India's dependency on Chinese imports, advocating for a reassessment of import strategies to mitigate economic risks and bolster domestic industries.
• Rising Dependency: With Chinese firms entering the Indian market, GTRI predicts a surge in India's industrial product imports, emphasizing the need for focused research and development and reducing dependency on single-country imports.
• Historical Trade Dynamics: India's trade surplus with China turned into a deficit post-2005, with Chinese goods dominating trade flows, leading to a steady increase in the trade deficit for India.