The analysis shows that during this period exports to East Europe jumped by 27.9 per cent to $ 995 million from $ 778 million and those to America by 16 per cent to $ 7,085 million from $ 6,106 million. To Asia and Oceania countries, exports increased by 14 per cent from $ 8,804 million to $ 10,034 million and to West Europe by 7.3 per cent from $ 6,884 million to $ 7,383 million. Exports to Africa, however, declined by 9.2 per cent, from $ 1,591 million to $ 1,445 million.

Imports to all destinations, barring West Europe, also increased. Those from Africa were sharply up by 81.16 per cent to $ 4,964 million from $ 2,733 million. Imports from East Europe accounted for 20 per cent from $ 651 million to $ 759 million, from America for 9.5 per cent from $ 3,532 million to $ 3,866 million and from Asia and Oceania for 9.2 per cent from $ 1432.6 million to $ 1565 million.

Imports from West Europe dropped by 4.9 per cent from $ 10,389 million to $ 9878 million.

India's merchandise exports increased from $ 33,470 million in 1996-97 to $ 35,006 million in 1997-98, showing a growth of 4.6 per cent.

Going by the provisional estimates of DGCI & S, total exports in 1998-99 were valued at $ 33,641 million, registering a growth of 3.7 per cent over the corresponding provisional data of the previous year.

Exports during April-January 2000 are estimated at $ 30,221.41 million compared to $ 27,148.12 million in the same period of the preceding year. This represents an increase of 11.32 per cent.

The analysis attributes the deceleration in export growth in 1998-99 to the crisis in Russia and some of the Latin American countries. Further, there was a fall in prices of many commodities resulting in lower unit value realisation, though quantities of exports had increased in most cases.

Uneven supply of export surplus of agricultural and allied products, constraints of infrastructure and other impediments like the narrow basket of export goods, slow rate of modernisation in tradeable goods sector and, inability to develop a competitive edge in sectors like hardware electronics are some of the other reasons.