India’s exports to China soared in December while shipments to the U.S. declined as President Donald Trump’s steep tariffs prompt New Delhi to focus on alternative markets.
Exports to China surged 67% in December to $2 billion, in contrast to goods shipped to the U.S. — New Delhi’s biggest export market — that dropped 1.8% to $6.8 billion, according to government data released late Thursday.
The U.S. has slapped 50% tariffs on New Delhi, among the highest on any country and even more than on China, upending both the trade and diplomatic relations between the two countries.
During the first nine months of the fiscal year ending March 2026, India’s exports to mainland China have risen nearly 37%, while shipments to Hong Kong have jumped more than 25%.
Earlier this week, India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met Vice Minister of the International Department of the Communist Party of China Sun Haiyan in New Delhi to discuss the “progress made in stabilizing and rebuilding bilateral ties with priority on business and people-centric engagements.”
