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3 traditional items account for 20 pc export growth

G. Srinivasan

NEW DELHI, July 3

THREE traditional but big ticket items such as chemical and related products, engineering goods and textiles which account for slightly above half of the country's aggregate exports did exceedingly well to account for India's export growth rate of 20.71 per cent in 2000-01, even while other traditional items like agriculture and allied products and gem and jewellery either did not do well or did badly.

Disaggregated foreign trade data based on the figures of the Directorate General of Commercial Intelligence and Statistics (DGCI&S) and compiled by the Economic Division of the Department of Commerce show that chemical and related products with a weight of 13.95 per cent registered a growth rate of 25.89 per cent in exports at $6183.70 million, against $4912.17 million in the previous year.

Engineering goods (12.89 per cent weight) logged an export growth of 30.032 per cent at $5715.65 million, against $4386.01 million, while textiles (24.35 per cent) recorded a growth of 17.73 per cent at $10795.41 million, against $9169.34 million in 1999 -2000.

In contrast to the relatively robust performance of traditional items, the other crucial traditional export item gems and jewellery accounting for 16.67 per cent in the export basket recorded a negative growth of 1.50 per cent at $7389.99 million during 2000-01, against $7502.29 million in the previous year. Even agriculture and allied products exports (8.72 per cent) did not do well as they logged a modest 5.52 per cent growth at $3867.05 million, against $3664.67 million in 1999-2000.

A surprisingly sound export performance came from petroleum products which with a weight of 4.10 per cent registered a substantial growth by fetching $1819 million during 2000-01, against a measly $29.98 million in the previous year. Electronic goods exp orts too logged a growth rate of 54.01 per cent at $1119.12 million, against $726.68 million in 1999-2000.

Overall, the country's exports during 2000-01 amounted to $44327.88 million, against $36714.81 million in 1999-2000, registering a growth rate of 20.74 per cent.

Destination-wise, the best performance of Indian exports was accounted for by Africa which with a weight of 5.30 per cent in India's aggregate exports notched up a wholesome 24.53 per cent growth at $2347.29 million in 2000-01, against $1884.95 million i n the previous year.

Exports to Asia and Oceania (37.48 per cent) registered a growth of 19.86 per cent at $16613.98 million during the period under review, against $13860.88 million. Exports to West Europe (25.25 per cent) logged a growth of 12.42 per cent at $11236.55 mill ion, against $9994.94 million during 1999-2000.

While India's exports to America (24.73 per cent) grew by 13.82 per cent during 2000-01 at $10962.53 million, against $9631.76 million, exports to United States, the country's principal trading partner grew less vigorously by 10.71 per cent at $9281.88 m illion, against $8383.64 million in 1999-2000.

Exports to East Europe (2.95 per cent) grew tepidly by 1.17 per cent at $1308.76 million, against $1293.66 million in 1999-2000.

On the import front, bulk imports with a weight of 41.99 per cent posted a modest 5.76 per cent growth during 2000-01 at $20844.06 million, against $19708.06 million in the previous year. Reflecting the general slowdown in industrial production during th e period under review, machinery imports (8.24 per cent) were down by 10.76 per cent at $4087.96 million, against $4580.85 million in the previous year.

On consumption items, import of both sugar and edible oil fell noticeably during the period under review. Edible oil imports (2.62 percent) recorded a -30.06 per cent growth at $1298.64 million, against $1856.81 million in the previous year, while sugar imports fell from $256.34 million in 1999-2000 to a mere $6.86 million, logging a -97.32 per cent growth. Predictably, import of gold and silver (8.92 per cent) nosedived by 5.93 per cent at $4426.93 million in 2000-01, against $4706.11 million in the pr evious year.

However, import of electronic items (7.06 per cent) registered a big jump by registering a growth of 25.35 per cent at $3505.39 million during 2000-01, against $2796.59 million. Items classified as "Other Commodities" (4.46 per cent) also registered a co nsiderable increase of 16.86 per cent at $2214.91 million in 2000-01, against $1895.33 million.

Overall, imports registered a negative 0.20 per cent growth during 2000-01 at $49639.15 million, against $49738.08 million in the previous year. Destinationwise, India's imports sourced from all regions fell during the period under review with the greate st decline being from Africa by 69.10 per cent, followed by Asia and Oceania at -41.97 per cent.

Imports from Asia and Oceania (27.50 per cent in total import) amounted to $13649.61 million during 2000-01, against $23521.71 million in 1999-2000. Import from Africa (4.12 per cent) during 2000-01 was $2043.12 million, against $6611.38 million in the p revious year.

Import from West Europe, the traditional source of import into India (weight 27.09 per cent) also fell by 1.98 per cent at $13446.85 million, against $13718.66 million in 1999-2000. Import from the United States (5.65 per cent) nosedived by 21.31 per cen t at $2804.48 million, against $3563.96 million in 1999-2000. The same is the case with East Europe which fell by 14.49 per cent at $843.78 million, against $986.70 million during 1999-2000.