India's July Exports Hit Record High as Trade Deficit Widens

When a country sells things to other countries, those are called exports.

When it buys things from other countries, those are called imports.

In July, India sold a record amount of goods to other countries — more than ever before for that month.

But India also bought even more things from other countries.

When a country buys more than it sells, that is called a trade deficit, meaning it spends more money abroad than it earns.

Because imports grew faster than exports, India's trade deficit got bigger.

The deficit for all goods and services was $15.03 billion in July.

The government said strong sales of petroleum products, electronics, engineering goods and marine products helped exports grow.

Exports to countries like China and the United States also increased.

The big question now is whether exports can keep growing while import growth slows down.