Updated
Updated · The Assam Tribune · Jul 20
China Eases Curbs on $107 Billion India Trade Gap as Flights Resume and Visas Loosen
Updated
Updated · The Assam Tribune · Jul 20

China Eases Curbs on $107 Billion India Trade Gap as Flights Resume and Visas Loosen

2 articles · Updated · The Assam Tribune · Jul 20

Summary

  • Rare earth magnets, fertilisers and tunnel-boring machines are again flowing more freely from China to India, easing supply pressure on Indian automakers, electronics makers and other manufacturers.
  • Direct flights resumed in October 2025, visa rules have begun to loosen and new dialogue channels have reopened after most engagement was frozen following the 2020 Galwan clashes.
  • Modi and Xi restarted top-level contact in October 2024 and followed with an SCO meeting in Tianjin in August 2025, reflecting a push for economic stability as global trade conditions grew less predictable.
  • India still runs a roughly $107 billion goods deficit with China: imports climbed to nearly $125 billion in 2025 while exports were just over $18 billion, underscoring deep dependence in electronics, machinery and pharma inputs.
  • New Delhi is pairing the thaw with caution, keeping domestic schemes for rare earths, bulk drugs and electronics to cut long-term reliance even as industry needs Chinese inputs in the near term.

Insights

Can India ease rules for Chinese investment while remaining a trusted partner in Western-led supply chains?
China's export controls are a strategic lever. How can Indian industry survive if Beijing decides to pull it again?