New Delhi: India’s exports to the United States declined sharply by 37.5 per cent during May to September 2025, dropping from $8.8 billion in May to $5.5 billion in September, according to the Global Trade Research Institute (GTRI). The think tank attributed the decline to weakened demand in key sectors such as pharmaceuticals, smartphones, metals, and automobiles.
Exports of pharmaceutical products fell 15.7 per cent, from $745.6 million in May to $628.3 million in September. Industrial metals and auto parts, which face uniform tariffs across all countries, saw a modest 16.7 per cent drop—from $0.6 billion to $0.5 billion. Aluminium exports fell 37 per cent, copper 25 per cent, auto parts 12 per cent, and iron-steel 8 per cent. GTRI Founder Ajay Srivastava noted that with similar duties on global suppliers, the decline likely reflects softer U.S. industrial activity rather than a loss of competitiveness.
Labour-intensive sectors were hit particularly hard, with textiles, gems and jewellery, chemicals, agri-foods, and machinery seeing a combined 33 per cent decline, from $4.8 billion to $3.2 billion. Solar panel exports plunged 60.8 per cent, from $202.6 million in May to $79.4 million in September. Shipments in textiles and garments fell 37 per cent, from $944 million to $597 million, with garments down 44 per cent, home textiles 16 per cent, and yarn and fabrics 41 per cent. Marine and seafood exports also dropped 49 per cent, from $223 million to $113 million, dealing a severe blow to one of India’s most labour-intensive export sectors.
The steep decline coincides with the United States imposing a 50 per cent tariff on a wide range of Indian products, effective from August 27, intensifying pressure on Indian exporters across multiple sectors.
