Exports take a roller coaster ride in view of pandemic

Hit by the pandemic, exports are witnessing a roller-coaster ride this fiscal.

Merchandise exports grew 16.2 per cent year on year in the first week of January, while imports rose 1.1 per cent, a senior commerce ministry official has said.

Rising 6 per cent in September, the first expansion since February, outbound shipments faltered by 5.1 per cent in October and 8.7 per cent in November before the contraction narrowed again to 0.8 per cent in December. Also, weekly growth can quickly reverse as well. Nevertheless, it’s an encouraging sign.

Exports of engineering goods rose as much as 51.8