India has highest trade deficit with China, gap narrowing: Piyush Goyal

India has the highest trade deficit with China in goods but the gap expanded at a lower pace during 2014-15 to 2023-24 as compared to the previous 10 years, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Friday. In a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha, the minister said that the trade deficit has increased by compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 42.85 per cent during 2004-05 to 2013-14, while the same has come down to 6.45 per cent during 2014-15 to 2023-24 which clearly indicates the success of the government in containing rate of growth of excessive import growth from China during the past ten years. It may also be noted that from 2004-05 to 2013-14, trade deficit grew by approximately 24.8 times while it grew only by 1.75 times from 2014-15 to 2023-24, he said. "India has the highest merchandise trade deficit with China," Goyal said. India's exports to China in 2023-24 stood at USD 16.65 billion, while imports aggregated at USD 101.75 billion, leaving a trade .