India hopes to boost exports to China, ASEAN in coming years: Piyush Goyal

Regarding India-China trade relations, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has said that India is open to Chinese suppliers meeting its growing import needs, even as it will take action through established legal processes against any unfair pricing. He expressed hope that India would become a major exporter to China and the ASEAN region in the coming years. He added that India was open to promoting free and fair trade with every country.

He said, “They (China) are also providing us with important intermediate goods and raw materials. If, in any particular product, we find that fair play or pricing is not proper, there is an established judicial process to address it. Other than that, we believe in the rules of fair play and open trade.” Regarding China's new export controls on key machinery, including tunnel boring machines, the minister said 'We will work on it'. The restrictions on exports of tunnel boring machines (TBMs) and related items could affect several Indian projects, including underground metro systems, high-speed rail lines and tunnels in various locations, including border areas.

The members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. According to the latest data released by the Commerce Ministry, India’s bilateral trade with China rose by about 29% to $91.76 billion during April-September of the current fiscal year, making China India’s largest trading partner in the first half of 2026-27. The two-way trade stood at $71.24 billion during April-September 2025-26.