India’s exports to China shift towards food and farm products

India's exports to China have been tilting towards farm products

India’s export basket to China is steadily tilting toward food and farm products, even as imports from Beijing remain dominated by industrial and consumer goods. Crabs, prawns, capsicum and jojoba oil are among the fastest-growing non-petroleum shipments, a Moneycontrol analysis shows.

Animal, vegetable and food product exports together made up 22.1 percent of India’s shipments to China in FY25, up sharply from 8.9 percent in FY19. Vegetable exports have tripled in share, rising from 4.3 percent to 13.1 percent, while animal products stood at 7.7 percent.

Traditional Exports Lose Ground

The growing farm tilt has come at the expense of some traditional categories. Textile and clothing exports shrank from 13 percent of exports in FY19 to just 3.9 percent in FY25. Chemicals, once India’s single largest export to China with a 23 percent share, dropped below 14 percent. Metal and fuel shipments, which surged in earlier years, have also moderated.

Machinery and electrical goods have been a bright spot outside food, with their share rising from 8.4 percent in FY19 to 14.1 percent in FY25. Footwear, though still a small segment, has expanded steadily to nearly 4 percent.

Rising Asymmetry in Trade

Despite this diversification, the broader trade balance highlights growing asymmetry. China’s share in India’s imports climbed from 13.7 percent in FY20 to 15.7 percent in FY25, while Beijing’s share in India’s exports slid from 5.3 percent to 3.3 percent over the same period.

India purchased goods worth $113.5 billion from China in FY25, nearly double the $65 billion it imported in FY20, while its exports to Beijing declined to $14.3 billion from $16.6 billion earlier.

Delhi and Beijing are looking to deepen collaboration as both countries brace the impact of Trump's tariffs. On August 31, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited China for the first time in seven years for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit held in Tianjin.