StatsGuru: Examining India's contentious free-trade pact with Asean

As India examines its free-trade agreements, a look at the trade numbers with Asean

The new commerce minister has announced that India's free-trade agreements (FTAs) are being reviewed. Many in industry have objected to the FTA with Asean in particular. They usually use Table 1 as an explanation: Both imports and exports from and to Asean have climbed since the FTA came into effect on January 1, 2010, but exports have failed to close the gap with imports.






But, as Table 2 shows, as a proportion of India's overall imports, imports from Asean have not changed vastly since before the FTA was signed - though export share has seen an impact.

3: SOME ASEAN NATIONS MAKE UP FOR BULK OF TRADE | Create Infographics

 
Further, it is not helpful to look at Asean overall. As Table 3 shows, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam dominate Indian trade with the region.

4: WITH A WIDE VARIATION OVER THE PAST DECADE | Create Infographics

But, as Table 4 shows, exports and imports have gone in different directions with those countries over the past decade

5: FUEL A KEY ITEM OF TRADE WITH ASEAN NATIONS | Create Infographics

The composition of trade with Asean is shown in Table 5. Fuel accounts for a large proportion of both exports and imports. But India exports a lot of meat, and iron & steel; and imports a lot of vegetable oil and electrical equipment.

6: AFTER FTA, 5 COMMODITIES HAVE SEEN AN EXPORT PUSH | Create Infographics

Finally, what goods trade has been affected? As Table 6 shows, meat, cereals, tea & coffee, iron & steel, and cars have seen a big export push.

7: SOME HAVE SEEN AN IMPORT PUSH | Create Infographics

And Table 7 shows rubber, machinery, cars - and articles made from iron & steel, have seen an import push. Oddly, vegetable imports have declined, too.