Fall in exports arrested; trade gap narrows: Govt.

Commerce Minister Anand Sharma told the parliament on Wednesday that steep falls in India's exports have been arrested in the last two months and that the trade deficit narrowed in the April-June period.

Efforts are being made to reduce the trade deficit, Sharma said, adding that the Government would take more steps to help exporters. India is looking at new destinations to boost exports, he said. "All efforts are made to reduce trade deficit," Sharma said.

India's exports have been declining since October. It fell by 29.2% in May from a year earlier.

Sharma also said that India wants distortions in global trade corrected at the Doha round of World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiations. The mandate of the Doha round should be fully met by addressing the concerns of developing countries, he said.