MillenniumPost
Business

EXIM container volume growth dips after demonetisation

Demonetisation and the subsequent dip in consumption resulted in a dip in the country's EXIM container trade volume growth for the January-March this year, a report said on Tuesday.

The container volume growth dropped to 7 per cent as compared to 10 per cent in the same period last year, it said, adding export growth stayed flat at 8 per cent while import expansion slid to 5 per cent from 13 per cent last year.

This is largely due to a "short-term" decline in imports on the note ban effects, the AP Moller Maersk Trade Report said, adding the outlook is better. "This dip in import growth was due to piling up of inventory in the market post demonetisation and lack of clarity around Goods and Services Tax (GST)," said Head of West Central Asia Trades at the container-shipping company, Franck Dedenis.

"India's EXIM trade forecast remains strong and we expect growth in imports in Q2 as the effects of demonetisation are expected to fade away," he added.

Imports of cash-sensitive products such as furniture, electronics and automobiles from China, United States and Germany have been hit by negative growth owing to "evolving economic reforms", the report said in a reference to the note ban exercise.

Imports from North America registered a negative growth of 9 per cent as compared to 29 per cent growth in the same period last year and waste paper demand declined due to note ban, while textiles and apparel, fruits, nuts and plastics showed some resilience, it said.
Next Story
Share it