India-China trade jumps 29% to $91.76 billion, overtakes US in first half of FY27
India's bilateral trade with China grew by 29% in the first half of FY27, surpassing trade volumes with the US. While exports to both nations increased, a surge in imports from China has significantly widened India's trade deficit.
Why it matters
This shift highlights India's evolving economic dependencies and the ongoing challenges in balancing trade relations with major global powers amidst tariff-related disruptions.
India’s bilateral trade with China rose nearly 29 per cent year-on-year to $91.76 billion in April-September 2026-27, making Beijing India’s largest trading partner in the first half of the financial year, according to commerce ministry data.Two-way trade between India and China stood at $71.24 billion in the corresponding period of 2025-26.China moved ahead of the US, with India’s trade with Washington rising 16.5 per cent to $83.14 billion during the first six months of the current fiscal year, compared with $71.39 billion a year earlier.India’s exports to China increased 36 per cent to $11.41 billion during April-September, from $8.38 billion in the year-ago period.
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