India's engineering goods exports continued their growth run in the new fiscal 2026-27 despite logistical and production disruptions caused by the West Asia conflict.Engineering goods exports recorded 8.78% year-on-year increase in April 2026 at US$10.35 billion as compared to US$9.52 billion in the same month last year.The growth in April was driven primarily by product panels such as aluminium and its products (38%), copper and its products (80%), electric machinery and equipment (9.5%), two- and three-wheelers (36%), and auto components/parts (7.2%).Of the 34 engineering product panels, 28 achieved year-on-year export growth during the month under review.Pankaj Chadha, Chairman, EEPC India, said in a statement that the growth in April this year was noticed in almost all sectors and all regions."Decline was majorly noted in WANA (West Asia and North Africa), where the region has been significantly impacted by the regional conflicts. However, within the region, exports to Oman increased, which is a positive indicator, especially due to the recently signed India-Oman CEPA," he said.Chadha noted that India has signed a slew of FTAs with major partners, but the industry needs to understand key challenges in market access in these countries to make the most of such deals.He also highlighted the protectionist approach taken by some of the countries and underlined the need for addressing them."While bilateral trade agreements are essential in the growing protectionism, it is essential that the government and industry, along with the Indian Missions abroad, collaborate to identify and address the non-tariff measures that create market access challenges," said the EEPC India chairman.UNCTAD’s Global Trade Update in its May issue mentioned that trade policies are becoming interventionist, and while tariffs are rising, it is the non-tariff measures that are creating the major obstacles and raising the trade cost.As per UNCTAD, while tariffs have increased around 10 to 18%, non-tariff measures impose higher export costs than tariffs for 88% of countries.India's engineering exports to most of the key destinations, including the US, UK, and Germany, stayed positive in April 2026. Shipments to the UAE, Singapore, and Saudi Arabia, however, declined during this period. Notably, engineering goods exports to China rose 81.7% year-on-year to US$301.08 million in April 2026.Among the exporting regions, the top destinations, North America and the EU, saw growth of 7.1% and 13% respectively in April 2026. Exports to all regions recorded growth, but exports to WANA and ASEAN continued to decline.The demand in the WANA region has declined mainly due to a decline in exports to the UAE and Saudi Arabia. As per the latest reports, both countries faced significant challenges due to regional conflicts.In the case of ASEAN, the decline has been noted in the Philippines, Cambodia, and Myanmar. The decline has been noted mainly in automobile and auto component exports. Also, a decline was noted in Singapore in the case of aircraft, spacecraft, and parts. As per the quick estimates of the government, the share of engineering in total merchandise exports was recorded at 23.8% in April 2026, a bit lower than 24.9 % in April 2025.