Indian trade deficit widens as gold imports surge 176%

By Unni Krishnan
Bloomberg News
Monday, September 15, 2014

NEW DELHI, India -- India's trade deficit widened in August from a year earlier as imports of gold surged 176 percent after policy makers eased shipment curbs.

The shortfall was $10.8 billion last month, wider than $10.7 billion a year earlier, with exports rising 2.4 percent and imports growing 2.1 percent. Gold shipments surged to $2 billion from $739 million in August last year after the government allowed more banks and traders to buy bullion overseas.

India is easing emergency measures taken when the current-account deficit widened to an all-time high, as faster growth boosts inflows. While the shortfall will widen this year through March 2015 after shrinking in the previous 12 months, it will stay sustainable, according to a Reserve Bank of India report last month.

"We can manage with monthly gold imports of about $2 billion and the jump in the August number is largely due to last year's low base after a sudden clampdown," Shubhada Rao, an economist at Yes Bank Ltd. in Mumbai, said yesterday. "The jump may look alarming, but there is no reason for panic." ...

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