India's trade deficit with China crosses USD 100 bn in first 9-months

[Beijingwalker]

India's trade deficit with China crosses USD 100 bn in first 9-months​

PTILast Updated: Oct 14, 2026, 04:47:00 PM IST

Synopsis
India's trade deficit with China has climbed to USD 105.93 billion in the initial nine months of this year. However, it is noteworthy that Indian exports to China saw a remarkable increase of 40.7 percent during this timeframe. Overall, bilateral trade has expanded by 25.4 percent, as China’s exports to India have also increased.

Beijing, India's trade deficit with China crossed USD 100 billion in the first nine months of this year, even as Indian exports grew by 40.7 per cent, sustaining their upward momentum amid a continued surge in Chinese exports.

India's trade deficit with China widened to USD 105.93 billion, up 20.7 per cent compared to last year, according to data released by China's General Administration of Customs on Wednesday.

The total bilateral trade increased by 25.4 per cent to USD 144.45 billion between January and September, according to the data.

China's exports to India touched USD 125.19 billion, registering a 23.3 per cent increase. Indian exports to China registered a 40.7 per cent increase, touching USD 19.26 billion, compared to the same period last year.

China's exports are dominated by electronics, machinery and chemicals catering to India's manufacturing base.

India's exports to China are made up of a mix of primary and resource products like ores, fuels, seafood and agricultural items, according to data.
China's trade data is compiled from January to December, while India's figures are calculated on a financial year basis from April to March.

According to India's Commerce Ministry, bilateral trade reached USD 151.1 billion last year.

India's exports to China rose 36.66 per cent to USD 19.47 billion during the last fiscal year, while imports increased 16 per cent to USD 131.63 billion.

The trade deficit swelled to an all-time high of USD 112.6 billion in 2025-26 as against USD 99.2 billion in 2024-25.

Over the years, India has been demanding China open its IT, pharma, and agricultural produce, which are India's strong areas, but with little success.

 

[retaxis]

india gives to china what africa gives to china which is basically raw resources. In return China dumps its 2nd and 3rd tier stuff on India as the first tier and 2nd tier goes to China/West.

 

[mythbuster]

india gives to china what africa gives to china which is basically raw resources. In return China dumps its 2nd and 3rd tier stuff on India as the first tier and 2nd tier goes to China/West.

China is equal opportunity exploiter , she spares no one , friend or foe.

 

[retaxis]

China is equal opportunity exploiter , she spares no one , friend or foe.

When there is no god to believe in, money becomes god

 

[ety]

These Bharats buy Chinese products like crazy and yet at same time they despise Chinese products as junk or inferior clones of Western products. How schizophrenic are these low IQ bunch.

 

[MH.Yang]

A rare phenomenon is that the CNY is appreciating rapidly and significantly, from 7.35 in May 2025 to 6.67 now, with the appreciating by over 10%. However, the appreciation of the CNY has not reduced China's trade surplus; instead, due to the drop in the price imported raw materials and the increase in the price of exported goods, the surplus is rapidly expanding. In 2026, China's trade surplus is expected to reach $1.3 trillion.

 

[retaxis]

These Bharats buy Chinese products like crazy and yet at same time they despise Chinese products as junk or inferior clones of Western products. How schizophrenic are these low IQ bunch.

It is the cheapass indian vendors who buy the cheapest goods from china and sell to india.

Westerners actually do not go for the cheapest products so obviously they get much better quality

India gets lower quality goods because their vendors go and buy the absolute cheapest goods to sell to their people

 

[MH.Yang]

China is equal opportunity exploiter , she spares no one , friend or foe.

All countries integrated into the Chinese industrial chain are experiencing rapid economic, industrial, and export growth. Take a look at the four countries along the Mekong River. China can effectively drive the economic development of countries that join China's industrial clusters.

Some friends should not only be friends of China's military and politics, but also allies of China's economy and industrial chains.

 

[mythbuster]

All countries integrated into the Chinese industrial chain are experiencing rapid economic, industrial, and export growth. Take a look at the four countries along the Mekong River. China can effectively drive the economic development of countries that join China's industrial clusters.

Some friends should not only be friends of China's military and politics, but also allies of China's economy and industrial chains.

China and her offshoot civilizations are like working ants , don't expect other to be like you.

 

[Sam6536]

It is the cheapass indian vendors who buy the cheapest goods from china and sell to india.

Westerners actually do not go for the cheapest products so obviously they get much better quality

India gets lower quality goods because their vendors go and buy the absolute cheapest goods to sell to their people

Again with the hyperbolics. There is a market for all types of Chinese goods. Many Chinese OEMs sell directly in india. Oneplus which recently scaled back from the West is still selling officially in India.

What you're talking about is ODMs, off the shelf purchases or slight customisation to an already available base template from China. It's all about the price segment one is considering.

Market economy is based on scale and efficiency which China is very good at.

 

[Viet]

india gives to china what africa gives to china which is basically raw resources. In return China dumps its 2nd and 3rd tier stuff on India as the first tier and 2nd tier goes to China/West.

Apropos dumbing, India is not an exception. you can see in other countries in South Asia, or even here in Germany, too. Cheap stores as Action, Woolworth sell cheap goods as crazy. That’s why the Germans have trade deficits, as well with China, like India.
Well, Merkel once said “wir schaffen es.”
It seems not working.

 

[MH.Yang]

Again with the hyperbolics. There is a market for all types of Chinese goods. Many Chinese OEMs sell directly in india. Oneplus which recently scaled back from the West is still selling officially in India.

What you're talking about is ODMs, off the shelf purchases or slight customisation to an already available base template from China. It's all about the price segment one is considering.

Market economy is based on scale and efficiency which China is very good at.

This is a normal behavior in business. For example, I will provide products of different grades and corresponding quotations according to customer requirements, including nano grade raw materials, raw materials, recycled materials, impurity materials, and so on. Every country has high-end and low-end demand, the only difference being the quantity of demand.

It is not wrong to order low-end products at a low price, but it is unpleasant when people order low-end products and then complain and demand high-end.

 

[Panda_Hi]

China is equal opportunity exploiter , she spares no one , friend or foe.

Generally speaking, trade is a voluntary process based on supply and demand. If buyers don’t need something, they usually won’t import it.

Some countries may feel it’s unfair, but they can choose not to import, buy, or use those products. No one is forcing them to do so.

China and her offshoot civilizations are like working ants , don't expect other to be like you.

Others reap the rewards of hard work because they’re willing to put in the effort and know what they’re working toward.

If someone is lazy, that’s their own problem.

 

[Sam6536]

This is a normal behavior in business. For example, I will provide products of different grades and corresponding quotations according to customer requirements, including nano grade raw materials, raw materials, recycled materials, impurity materials, and so on. Every country has high-end and low-end demand, the only difference being the quantity of demand.

It is not wrong to order low-end products at a low price, but it is unpleasant when people order low-end products and then complain and demand high-end.

Obviously. It's simple business according to demand and supply.

 

[jr_pdf]

China is equal opportunity exploiter , she spares no one , friend or foe.

China and her offshoot civilizations are like working ants , don't expect other to be like you.

I’ve only been to Pakistan once, and I saw many things I couldn’t understand. Please explain them to me: Pakistan has an excellent geographic location and should logically have developed a large-scale refining industry oriented toward the Gulf, but in reality the oil Pakistan imports is expensive, distant American oil. Likewise, Pakistan’s labor is far cheaper than China’s, hardworking, and tolerant of harsh conditions, and China, as a friend, is willing to support your manufacturing. So why has Pakistan’s manufacturing never been able to take off? In the China+1 wave of the past 10 years, the manufacturing Pakistan received was not even one percent of what India got—the timing was completely missed!