New Delhi, Sep 20 (IANS) India’s exports to free trade agreement (FTA) partners have shot up during the first quarter of 2026-27, with shipments to Singapore and Sri Lanka more than doubling and exports to ASEAN rising by more than 60 per cent, which shows that the trade pacts are actually bearing fruit, according to reports.
The figures suggest that India’s expanding network of trade agreements is increasingly translating negotiated market access into actual export momentum, according to an article in Tanzania’s The Guardian newspaper.
The development comes at a significant point for India’s external trade strategy. The country recorded its highest-ever combined exports of $863.1 billion in FY 2025-26, comprising merchandise exports of $441.8 billion and services exports of $421.3 billion.
The latest data with FTA partners shows that India is not merely expanding its export volumes, but increasingly using preferential trade arrangements to widen its market presence, the article stated.
Commerce Ministry data show that India’s exports to Singapore rose 101.2 per cent year-on-year during April-June 2026, reaching $6.52 billion, up from $3.24 billion in the same period last year.
Exports to Sri Lanka performed even more strongly, climbing 123.8 per cent to $2.35 billion from $1.05 billion.
The ASEAN region also registered a substantial increase. Indian shipments rose 61.6 per cent to $14.61 billion in the first quarter of FY 2026-27, compared with $9.04 billion during April-June 2025.
Exports to Malaysia increased 75.2 per cent to $2.54 billion, while shipments to Australia rose 25.2 per cent to $2.68 billion.
South Korea recorded 22.6 per cent growth to $1.95 billion and Japan 22.4 per cent to $1.75 billion.
Similarly, shipments to Oman increased 26.4 per cent to $1.39 billion, while exports to Nepal rose 18.1 per cent to $2.28 billion. Bhutan and Thailand also registered growth of 16.1 per cent and 6 per cent, respectively.
Recent trade agreements signed by New Delhi include the India-UAE CEPA, India-Australia ECTA, India-EFTA TEPA, India-Oman CEPA and the India-UK CETA.
India has also concluded an FTA with New Zealand, which remains under ratification, while negotiations with the European Union were concluded in January 2026.
The Commerce Ministry’s latest assessment shows that Indian exporters are actively using preferential arrangements. Under the India-UAE CEPA, 4.45 lakh Certificates of Origin have been issued since the agreement came into force in May 2022.
The number of Indian tariff lines exported to the UAE at the HS eight-digit level increased from 7,546 in FY 2021-22 to 8,053 in FY 2025-26, with exports across these lines valued at $37.3 billion.
That expansion is important because it indicates that the benefit of an FTA is not restricted to lower tariffs on established products. It can also help exporters enter additional product categories and deepen their presence in an existing market.
Australia provides another example. Since the India-Australia ECTA entered into force in December 2022, 2.73 lakh Certificates of Origin have been issued. The number of tariff lines exported from India to Australia increased from 5,396 in FY 2021-22 to 5,668 in FY 2025-26, with exports across those lines reaching about $7.2 billion, the article added.
–IANS
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