India's trade deficit with China has increased to $ 51.86 billion in 2015, with a bilateral trade of $71.22 billion in the year. During this period, India's exports to China came in at $9.68 billion, while imports were $61.54 billion. In 2014-15, the deficit was aggregated at $ 48.48 billion.
Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has stated that increase in trade deficit with China can primarily be attributed to the fact that Chinese exports to India rely strongly on manufactured items meeting the demand of fast-expanding sectors like telecom and power while India's exports to China are characterised by primary products, raw material and intermediate products.
The minister however said that in order to boost exports and maintain balance of trade with China, India has impressed upon China to recognise the need for reduction in trade imbalance for a long term, sustainable and harmonious development of economic cooperation between the two countries. She also informed that so far, India has initiated 322 anti-dumping cases out of which 177 cases involve China. The Commerce Ministry's of both the countries have signed a Five-year Development Programme for Economic and Trade Cooperation in September 2014 to lay down a medium-term roadmap for promoting balanced and sustainable development of economic and trade relation.