Exports grow by 36.4 pc in December to USD 22.5 bn

New Delhi, Feb 1 (PTI) India''s exports went up by 36.4per cent year-on-year, highest in the last 33-months to USD22.5 billion in December 2010.

The country''s merchandise exports in December 2009 stoodat USD 16.4 billion.

However, imports contracted by 11.1 per cent to USD 25.13billion over the same period last year, resulting in a narrowtrade deficit of USD 2.6 billion, according to CommerceMinistry data which released here today.

During the April-December period of the current fiscal,the country''s outbound shipment grew by 29.5 per cent to USD164.7 billion from USD 127.1 billion in the same period lastyear, the data said.

The imports too increased by 19 per cent to USD 246.7billion during the first nine-months of the current fiscalfrom USD 207.3 billion in the same period last year.

The trade gap during the period stood at USD 82 billion.

Commerce Secretary Rahul Khullar had said that India''sexport would touch USD 215-225 billion during the currentfiscal.