India's Trade With West Asia Gradually Improving; Trade Numbers Almost Back To Normal Since May

Last Updated:June 15, 2026, 19:39 IST

India's West Asia exports hit USD 5.30 billion in May, near pre-war levels, as exporters rerouted through Oman's Duqm, Sohar and Salalah ports amid the Hormuz closure.

Indian exporters rerouted shipments through 3 Omani ports i.e. Duqm, Sohar, and Salalah, to keep goods reaching West Asian markets even as the Strait of Hormuz remained shut, Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal said in New Delhi on Monday.

The workaround paid off in May where Indian merchandise exports to the region came in at USD 5.30 billion, against USD 5.38 billion in May last year, a gap of just under two %.

The Strait of Hormuz, 33 kilometres wide at its narrowest, is the main sea lane connecting India to the UAE, Oman, Iran, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia. India ships around USD 6 billion worth of goods through it every month in normal times.

The joint US-Israel military campaign against Iran, which began in February, effectively closed it, and the damage piled on fast.

Exports and imports to and from West Asia fell over 50% in March. April brought partial recovery but merchandise exports were still down to USD 4.2 billion, and imports contracted more than 28%. The Oman rerouting, which also opened a corridor running through to the UAE’s Jebel Ali port, pulled numbers back through May.

Agrawal said that supply chains “remained entrenched" and credited exporter and agency efforts for opening new routes. Within West Asia, the picture remains uneven.

Exports to Saudi Arabia rose 11.12% to USD 915.54 million. The UAE was up 3.18% to USD 3.06 billion. Jordan posted a 211% jump, Syria 209%, Yemen 16.5%.

On the import side, Oman surged 305.66% to USD 1.93 billion and Saudi Arabia grew 12.54% to USD 2.12 billion. UAE imports fell 10.17% to USD 5.7 billion. Total imports from the region were USD 10.7 billion in May, down 17.38% from USD 13 billion a year ago.

Oil imports from the Gulf dropped while sourcing from Russia and the United States increased.

Sectors that took the hardest export hit included gems and jewellery, engineering goods, electronics, petroleum products, and rice. Disruptions to Gulf oil and gas movement also pushed up domestic raw material costs, particularly for steel, plastic, and rubber.

On Monday, US President Donald Trump announced that Washington and Tehran have agreed a deal to end their 107-day war. The peace agreement is scheduled to be signed on June 19 in Switzerland. Asked about the trade outlook, Agrawal said India hopes it is “a sustained deal," and that the opening of the Strait of Hormuz would be “good" for trade.

About the Author

Anoshito Banerjee

Anoshito Banerjee is a digital journalist at CNN-News18, specialising in Indian foreign policy, global diplomacy, South and West Asian geopolitics, and strategic affairs. His reporting spans hard news...Read More

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