New Delhi: India's exports to the West Asian region rose by 8.62 percent year-on-year to USD 5.7 billion in July, despite global uncertainties, Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal said on Thursday.
Exports to the West Asian countries stood at USD 5.2 billion in the same month last year, as per the government data.
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The shipments to the region had declined for the first time in March due to the US-Iran conflict, but improved in April and further in May and June.
Agrawal said that trade is back to earlier levels with this region.
The country's exports to the UAE rose 10.15 percent to USD 3.3 billion, but shipments to Saudi Arabia declined by 2.73 percent year-on-year to USD 763.7 million.
Imports from the UAE and Saudi Arabia dipped during the last month. However, imports from Oman more than doubled to USD 1.57 billion.
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Indian exporters are using three ports (Duqm, Sohar and Salalah) in Oman, and the Port of Fujairah and Khor Fakkan Port in the UAE to push exports to the region.
Earlier, the Port of Jebel Ali in the United Arab Emirates used to handle a lot of cargoes for that region, but it has faced operational disruptions due to the ongoing crisis.
When asked why India has shifted its focus in trade negotiations from developed countries to the SACU group, the secretary said the world is increasingly integrating with the African continent, and India is starting with a preferential trade agreement (PTA).
On August 12, India and the South Africa-led SACU group signed a roadmap for launching negotiations for a preferential trade agreement in goods to boost economic ties.
The five members of SACU (South African Customs Union) are Botswana, Eswatini (formerly Swaziland), Lesotho, Namibia and South Africa.
Agarwal said that there are areas where India competes with the members, but there are sectors where both sides complement each other.
"It is a calibrated approach," he said. India, in the last four years, has finalised free trade agreements with countries including Australia, the UAE, the UK, the EU, the EFTA bloc and New Zealand.
The US-Iran war has impacted the movement of ships carrying cargoes in international waters, particularly through the Strait of Hormuz.
India normally exports goods worth about USD 6 billion every month to the region.
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