1.   

Govt sets $325 billion exports target for 2013-14

The government has set an export target of USD 325 billion for the current financial year on the back of slowdown in the global markets, Parliament was informed on Wednesday. "Government has set an export target of USD 325 billion for the year 2013-14," Minister of State for Commerce and Industry D Purandeswari said in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha. Due to the global slowdown in the developed regions like the US and Europe, the country's exports fell for the first time in three years with a dip of 1.8 per cent to USD 300.6 billion in 2012-13, taking the country's trade deficit to a record high level of USD 191 billion.

2.   

India's floriculture exports set to grow 17-20% in FY13

Floriculture exports are likely to grow 17-20 per cent for the year ended March, on the back of increased shipment of cut roses during Valentine's Day early this year. Between April 2012 and February 2013, India exported 23,000 tonnes of flowers worth Rs 385 crore, growth of 16.6 per cent over the corresponding period in the previous year. "The export figures for March are not available. Going by the trend in the first 11 months of last year, we can estimate the full fiscal year exports in the range of Rs 425 crore," an official from the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), said.

3.   

India to gain more from FTAs in long term: Rao

India will benefit more in the medium-to-long term from Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with other countries which will have some edge initially though, a top official in the Commerce Ministry said. "In short term, initially it is our partners who will be able to gain more...in the medium to long term, Indian industry (would) become more competitive in those markets...," Commerce Secretary S R Rao told PTI.

4.   

India’s exports growth trumps China in 2005-12 period

India outpaced the rest of the world in terms of exports growth in 2005-12, charting a 17 per cent improvement over the seven-year period. As per the latest World Trade Organisation (WTO), this was even higher than arch-rival China’s exports growth of 15 per cent between 2005 and 2012. The exports growth registered by the powerhouses of the Asian economy was significantly higher than the global average of 8 per cent in the 2005-12 period.