Inter-ministerial committee set up to monitor import, export trends

The Government has constituted an inter-ministerial committee to monitor export and import trends and recommend corrective action wherever required, Parliament was informed on Tuesday.

The committee includes representatives from the Department of Commerce, Department of Revenue, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Directorate General of Foreign Trade and Directorate General of Commercial Intelligence and Statistics.

It monitors exports and imports regularly and takes corrective measures in consultation with various stakeholders.“An Inter-Ministerial Committee has been constituted to consider the trends with respect to imports and exports and recommend corrective action wherever required,” Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Jitin Prasada said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.

He also said that India’s trade deficit with China has increased from $58.09 billion in April-October 2024 to $63.97 billion in April-October 2025, a rise of 10.1 per cent.However, the deficit is mainly due to imports of raw materials, intermediate goods and capital goods, like auto components, electronic parts and assemblies, mobile phone parts, machinery and its parts, Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients, which are used for making finished products which are also exported out of India.

“India’s export to China has also increased from $8.04 billion in April-October, 2024 to $10.02 billion in April-October, 2025, a rise of 24.7 per cent,” he said.Replying to a separate question, he said India’s trade deficit remains comfortably manageable when viewed against the country’s substantial foreign exchange reserves.“Moreover, India is currently the fastest growing among major economies and that growth pattern naturally affects its trade dynamics.

India’s rapid economic growth is pushing up import demand as faster growth increases the need for machinery, electronics, industrial inputs and energy,” Prasada said.

As a result, he said, strong domestic demand, investment-led expansion, and heavy energy dependence combine to make higher growth translate into higher imports, for sustaining manufacturing expansion and India’s integration into global value chains.