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Although India’s new import tariffs on pulses considerably dented Lithuania’s agricultural exports to India in 2017, bilateral trade in other categories continued growing, the annual report released by the Statistics Lithuania agency has revealed.

The Lithuanian exports to India last year amounted to EUR 60.2 million (Rs. 483 crore), i.e. 30.2% less than in 2016. The drop has resulted solely from the discontinued exports of Lithuanian grain and peas to India following the new import rules introduced in early November 2017.

Thus, in 2016, Lithuania’s export of peas to India reached EUR 50 million (Rs. 396 crore) – almost 20% of India’s total peas import that year.

However, it fell close to zero after the Government of India imposed a 50% import tariff on pulses on 8 November 2017.

Agricultural products apart, Lithuania’s exports to India last year grew by 7.9%, driven by the exports of plastics and its articles (6.4% of Lithuania’s total export to India), rough wood (6.2%), and wadding, felt and other nonwovens (5.4%).

The export of lasers and other high-value commodities accounted to nearly EUR 4 million (Rs. 31 crore), or 6.5% of Lithuania’s total export to India.

Meanwhile, imports from India to Lithuania last year increased by 1.1% and amounted to EUR 44.9 million (Rs. 361 crore). The main imported commodities were footwear (7.4%), other made-up textile articles such as bedlinen, table linen, packing sacks and bags (6.8%), pharmaceuticals (6.6%), surimi (6.6%) and tobacco (5.3%).

The total trade turnover between India and Lithuania was EUR 105.2 million (Rs. 844 crore). India featured as Lithuania’s 39^th largest trade partner, down by six notches from 2016.

Source: Embassy of Lithuania