New Delhi: India’s exports picked up significantly in October, the second month of positive growth, growing at 9.59% as shipments of engineering goods and gems and jewellery shot up.

Data released by the commerce ministry on Tuesday showed the trade deficit widening to $10.2 billion as imports also rose by 8.11%.

During the April-October period, exports still stand lower by 0.17% than the same period last year, while imports are lower by 10.85% during the same period.

World trade has been shrinking with demand slowing in key American and European markets. Growth in the volume of world trade is expected to remain sluggish in 2016 at 2.8%, the same as in 2015, the World Trade Organization said in an April report.

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The government’s target of $900 billion in exports of goods and services by 2020, raising the country’s share in world exports to 3.5% from 2% now, looks more daunting. The Economic Survey released before the budget in February said even though India’s long-run potential gross domestic product (GDP) growth is 8-10%, its actual growth in the short run will also depend on global growth and demand.

“After all, India’s exports of manufactured goods and services now constitute about 18% of GDP, up from about 11% a decade ago," it added.

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