India’s West Asia exports fall 7.2% as Oman and Jordan record strong gains

India’s merchandise exports to West Asia declined 7.2% year-on-year during April–September 2026, with weaker petroleum and jewellery shipments weighing on regional trade. Oman and Jordan moved against the trend, recording substantial increases as demand, preferential market access and disrupted shipping routes reshaped trade flows.

The regional contraction contrasted with growth in India’s overall goods exports, highlighting uneven conditions across export markets during the first half of financial year 2026–27.

Which markets and products recorded growth?

Exports to Oman increased 45% to US$3.2 billion, while shipments to Jordan reached US$1.2 billion, approximately 2.4 times their year-earlier value.

Petrol and diesel exports to Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and other West Asian countries fell 27% to US$3.5 billion. Gold and other jewellery exports to the GCC declined 8.6% to US$3.2 billion.

In Jordan, petroleum products, rice, buffalo meat and medicines accounted for US$592.7 million, or 85%, of the increase, according to the Global Trade Research Initiative. Petroleum shipments reached US$327.3 million, rice US$253.5 million, buffalo meat US$192.4 million and medicines US$39.7 million.

Oman also benefited from cargo routing towards the United Arab Emirates (UAE) amid disruption at the Strait of Hormuz.

How is the India–Oman trade agreement supporting exporters?

The India–Oman Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) entered into force on 1 June 2026, following its signing in Muscat on 18 December 2025.

The agreement provides duty-free access across 98.08% of Oman’s tariff lines, covering 99.38% of Indian exports by value. Previously, only 15.33% of India’s exports entered Oman without customs duties under its most-favoured-nation regime.

The concessions cover sectors including engineering goods, processed foods, pharmaceuticals, textiles and marine products. For seafood exporters, duties of up to 5% were removed immediately.

The Commerce and Industry Ministry has identified Sohar, Duqm and Salalah as logistics hubs offering access to Oman and wider GCC and East African markets. This gives the bilateral agreement relevance beyond direct sales to Omani customers, particularly for exporters using regional distribution networks.

What do the latest monthly figures show?

The six-month decline masks variations within the reporting period. India’s exports to West Asia exceeded their year-earlier levels in June, July and August 2026.

September exports stood at US$5.56 billion, compared with US$5.94 billion a year earlier. Imports from the region were US$13.64 billion, close to the US$13.76 billion recorded in September 2025.

The UAE remained India’s second-largest export destination during April–September, although shipments declined to US$16.7 billion from US$18.75 billion.

These figures show that trade continued at substantial levels despite regional disruption. They also distinguish the cumulative first-half setback from the stronger export performance recorded in several individual months.

How does West Asia compare with India’s overall export performance?

India’s total merchandise exports increased 18.51% to US$259.89 billion during April–September 2026, compared with US$219.30 billion a year earlier, according to Commerce and Industry Ministry figures released on 15 October.

Non-petroleum exports rose 15.56% to US$218.70 billion, indicating that national growth extended beyond energy-related shipments.

September goods exports reached US$44.40 billion. Electronics, petroleum products, chemicals and engineering goods were among the principal growth drivers, with engineering exports increasing 20.91% to US$12.17 billion.

The ministry identified Singapore, the United States, China, Tanzania and Malaysia among the leading contributors to first-half export growth by change in value. The broader expansion places West Asia’s decline within a geographically uneven export picture, with gains elsewhere supporting India’s national performance.