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Official Website: https://tradestat.commerce.gov.in/

India’s official trade statistics portal (TradeStat) is a comprehensive online database maintained by the Department of Commerce, Government of India. It provides detailed export and import data – an invaluable resource for business analysts, researchers, and first-time users interested in India’s trade. This step-by-step guide will walk you through how to navigate the portal to access trade statistics, choose data settings, apply filters (like commodity HS codes), and extract insights from the reports. By the end, you’ll know how to retrieve product-wise export/import figures, country-wise trade data, and more, all in your choice of currency units. Let’s get started!

Accessing the TradeStat Portal and Trade Types

To begin, visit the TradeStat portal (https://tradestat.commerce.gov.in) using a modern web browser. You will be greeted by an interface showing the Ministry of Commerce & Industry header and options to select data parameters. Here’s how to start:

• Choose Export or Import: At the top of the portal, look for the “Trade Type” options. You can toggle between Exports and Imports depending on which trade data you need. For example, selecting “EXPORTS” will set the portal to show export statistics, while “IMPORTS” will show import statistics. (In the annual data section, a third option “Total Trade” may be available, which represents exports + imports combined.)

Selecting the correct trade type is crucial – if you want to analyze what India exports to the world, make sure Exports is chosen, and for what India imports, choose Imports. The portal will label the report accordingly (for instance, “Exports :: Commodity Wise” or “Imports :: Country-wise” based on your selections).

Monthly vs. Yearly Trade Data

The TradeStat system provides two modes of data: monthly trade data and annual (yearly) aggregated data. It’s important to decide which timeframe suits your needs:

• Monthly Data (MEIDB): If you need data for specific months or to see month-by-month figures, use the monthly trade data section. This is useful for analyzing seasonal trends or a particular month’s trade. The portal’s monthly data module is often labeled as “Monthly Trade – Harmonised Classification of Commodities”. In this mode, you will typically select a specific month and year (or a range) to get data for that month.

• Yearly Data (Annual EIDB): If you are interested in yearly totals, use the annual Export-Import Data Bank. Annual data is aggregated (usually by financial year, April–March). You will choose a year (e.g. 2024-2025) and get the total trade for that year. (Note: By default, the portal uses India’s fiscal year. For example, “2024-2025” corresponds to April 2024 through March 2025 Annual data is handy for a broad overview of trends or total yearly trade volumes without monthly granularity.

How to switch: On the TradeStat homepage, there may be menu links or tabs for “Monthly Data” and “Annual Data”. For instance, you might see an option for “MEIDB” (monthly) and “EIDB” (annual) at the top. Click on the appropriate section before proceeding to make sure you are in the right mode for your needs.

Selecting Time Period

Once you’ve chosen monthly or yearly mode, the next step is to select the time period for which you want data:

• If using Monthly Data: The interface will display a list of months (January, February, … December) and a list of years. You can select the month and year of interest. For example, to get trade data for March 2025, click on “March” and “2025”. Some users also use the monthly mode to get multiple months or a range – the portal might allow selecting a start and end month (try clicking the first month and dragging to the last month, or use Ctrl+click for multiple selection if supported). There is also usually a toggle for “Year Type” – choosing between Financial Year and Calendar Year. If you select Financial Year and then choose a year (say 2024), the system might automatically consider April 2023–March 2024 as the range. If Calendar Year is selected, the year 2024 would mean January–December 2024. This can be useful if you want the portal to compute annual totals on a fiscal or calendar basis.

• If using Annual Data: Simply pick the year from the dropdown list. The years are often labeled in a range format (e.g. 2023-2024, 2024-2025, etc.), representing the fiscal year. Choose the desired year to get data aggregated for that entire year. There’s no need to pick a month in this mode since it’s already a yearly total.

Make sure a time period is selected; otherwise, the query may not return any results. The portal typically defaults to the latest available period, but you can change it as needed.

Filtering by Commodity (HS Codes or Description)

One of the powerful features of India’s trade data portal is the ability to filter and break down data by commodity. TradeStat uses the HS code system (Harmonized System codes) to classify products. India uses an 8-digit code system called ITC-HS (Indian Trade Classification based on HS), which is simply the international 6-digit HS code with two extra digits for finer detail. In practical terms, a 2-digit HS code represents a broad chapter (industry sector), while an 8-digit HS code represents a very specific product within that category.

For user convenience, you can filter commodities in two ways on the portal:

• Select “All Commodities” at a certain HS level: The interface provides options like 2-digit level, 4-digit level, 6-digit level, or 8-digit level under an “All Commodity” heading. Choosing one of these will retrieve data for all products, but grouped at that level of detail. For example, if you select 2-digit Level, the report will list data summarized by broad chapters (e.g. 02 – Meat and edible meat offal, 03 – Fish and seafood, etc., each with their total values). If you select 8-digit Level, it will list very specific products (the most detailed level) individually. The 8-digit level provides the most granular information – essentially a long list of specific items and their trade values. This is great for pinpoint analysis, but if you prefer a summary, stick to higher levels like 2 or 4 digits for an overview. (Note: Displaying “All commodities at 8-digit” will produce a large report since thousands of product codes exist – consider narrowing your query if performance is an issue.)

• Search for a Specific Commodity: If you want data for one particular product or a subset of products, use the “Specific Commodity” search feature. Click on the Search link or input box next to “Specific Commodity”. You can search by HS code or by keyword in the description. For example, if you know the HS code (or the first few digits), you can enter it to find that exact code. If you don’t know the code, simply type a keyword. For instance, typing “rice” in the description field and clicking Search will show all commodities whose description contains “rice” along with their HS codes. You can enter at least 3 characters of a term and get a list of matches (e.g. “rice polished”, “rice basmati”, etc.). Once you see the desired commodity in the results list, select it. The HS code will be filled in or the commodity name will be selected for your query.

After using the search, the chosen commodity will be set in the form. This filter means your data output will now focus only on that specific HS code (or commodity category) instead of all commodities. This is useful if, say, you only want to see export data for Tea (HS code 0902) or import data for Mobile Phones (HS code under 8517), etc. If you ever want to go back to viewing all products, you can clear the specific commodity field and switch back to an “All Commodities” level.

Understanding HS Codes: HS codes might seem technical, but the portal’s search makes it easier. Just remember, the higher the digit count, the more detailed the product. For broad industry insights, look at 2-digit or 4-digit levels. For pinpoint product analysis, go to 6 or 8 digits. India’s 8-digit ITC-HS codes are essentially an extension of the global HS codes, providing very specific classifications. For example, the 6-digit HS code for turmeric powder is 091030, and India’s 8-digit code adds two more digits (09103030) for a precise category. You don’t need to memorize codes – use the search as needed.

Choosing the Report Type (Commodity-wise, Country-wise, etc.)

The TradeStat portal offers various report formats to view the data, which determine how the results will be grouped or segmented. After setting trade type, period, and commodity filters, you should select a Report option that suits the question you’re trying to answer. The available report types (often presented as a menu or dropdown) include:

• Commodity-wise: This will list data broken down by commodities. Use this if you want to see which products make up the trade for the selected period. For example, if you chose Exports and 2024 (annual) and commodity-wise, you’ll get a list of commodity categories and their export values for that year. This is great for finding the top export products overall.

• Country-wise: This option lists data by countries. It answers the question “with which countries does India trade the most?” in the selected period. For instance, if viewing imports country-wise for a given year, the output will rank countries by import value (showing how much India imported from each country).

• Commodity-wise by Country (or All Countries): There are reports like “Commodity-wise – All Countries” which allow you to focus on one commodity and see its breakup by destination/origin country. You would first specify a commodity (via the HS code or search filter as described above), then choose this report to see, for example, the export distribution of that commodity across different countries. This report is useful if you want to know where a specific product is being exported (or imported from, in the import section). It essentially produces a country-by-country list for the chosen product.

• Country-wise by Commodity (or All Commodities): Conversely, a report labeled “Country-wise – All Commodities” lets you pick a specific country and see what commodities are traded with that country. For example, select a country (using a country filter if provided, or the portal may prompt for country selection when you choose this report) and it will list all commodities exported to or imported from that country and their values. This is useful to understand the product mix of trade with a particular nation.

• Region-wise: Instead of individual countries, the data can be aggregated by region. Predefined regions (like Asia, Europe, Africa, etc.) group multiple countries. A Region-wise report will show the total trade with each region. This helps in seeing broad patterns, like which global region is the biggest destination for Indian exports or source of imports.

• Regional breakdowns (All Countries or All Commodities): Similar to the above patterns, you might find “Region-wise – All Countries” or “Region-wise – All Commodities” to further break data down. For example, Region-wise All Countries might give a detailed view of region totals with country-level details under each, whereas Region-wise All Commodities could list, within each region, the commodity totals. These are more advanced and typically used for in-depth analysis. A more straightforward way for most users is to stick to either pure region summary or use country-wise and commodity-wise separately.

• Predefined Groups / Custom Groups: The portal also allows grouping countries into custom sets. Predefined Group of Countries may include common trade blocs or agreements (e.g. SAARC, ASEAN, EU). If you select one, the report will treat that group as a single entity and show total trade with that group. Customised Group of Countries usually lets you select multiple countries of your choice (via a multi-select list) and then view the combined trade total for that custom group. This can be handy if, say, you want the total exports to a specific subset of countries (like a set of target markets your company is interested in).

In summary, choose the report format based on what insight you need:

• Use Commodity-wise to see a product ranking,

• Country-wise to see a country ranking,

• the combined formats (Commodity x Country) to examine how a specific product or market breaks down,

• and region/group options for higher-level aggregates. Don’t worry if this sounds complex – the portal will usually enable or ask for the relevant inputs (commodity or country) depending on the report you select.

Choosing Data Units: USD, INR, or Quantity

Before fetching the data, decide in what units you want to view the trade values. The portal provides a toggle for Values in: either US Dollars (US $), Indian Rupees (?), or Quantity. This option is usually found near the commodity selection fields. Here’s how they work:

• US $ Million: This will show trade values in millions of U.S. dollars. This is convenient for international comparisons or analysis, since USD is a common reference currency. For example, an export value might be shown as 2500 (which would mean $2,500 million, i.e. $2.5 billion).

• ? Crore: This shows values in Indian rupees, specifically in crores. (A crore is equal to 10 million, and is a standard unit in Indian financial reporting.) If you select this, the trade values will be displayed in crores of rupees. For instance, an import value of 10,000 in the report means ?10,000 crore (which is ?100 billion). Choose this if you prefer seeing values in local currency. It’s especially useful for domestic analysis or when you want to relate figures to Indian economic indicators.

• Quantity: This will display the physical quantity of goods traded, rather than their monetary value. Important: Quantities are shown in the unit that is standard for each commodity. For example, steel might be in metric tons, gold in kilograms, automobiles in number of units, etc. The portal only displays a quantity when it’s meaningful – typically at the 8-digit commodity level where a single unit of measure applies. If you choose a higher aggregation (say total of a 2-digit category that mixes different goods), the quantity field may be blank or not applicable, since summing different units (kg + number + liters, etc.) doesn’t make sense. Use Quantity when analyzing a specific product or a narrow category where you know the unit (e.g., to see volume of petroleum imported in a year, or number of cellphones exported, etc.).

You can switch between USD and INR to get a different perspective on the same data. The conversion uses official exchange rates as per the data source (so both currency options are provided directly in the database). Most analysts prefer USD for a global view and INR for a domestic context. If unsure, start with USD.

Submitting the Query and Viewing Results

After setting all your desired parameters – trade type, time frame, commodity filter, report type, and value unit – it’s time to retrieve the data. Double-check your selections and then click the “Submit” button (often located near the bottom of the form). The portal will process your query and display the results on the same page, typically below the form.

Understanding the output: The data will appear in a table format. The columns and rows depend on the report type you chose:

• For a Commodity-wise report, you’ll usually see a table where each row is a commodity (identified by its HS code and description). The columns might include the trade value (in the unit you selected) and perhaps a quantity column if you opted for quantity. You might also see a total row at the bottom summing up all commodities. This table essentially tells you which products make up the trade and their values. You can scan this to find, for example, the highest-valued export commodities in that period.

• For a Country-wise report, each row will be a country name with the trade value corresponding to that country. The list might be sorted by value, showing the top trading partners at the top. This is useful for identifying major export destinations or import sources. For example, you might see entries like “United States – $X million, China – $Y million, UAE – $Z million,” etc., giving you a quick ranking of countries.

• For combined reports like Commodity-wise (All Countries) after selecting a specific commodity, the output will list countries as rows and show how much of that commodity was traded with each country. Essentially, it’s a breakdown of that commodity’s distribution. Conversely, a Country-wise (All Commodities) for a selected country will list various commodities exported to/imported from that country and their values, showing that country’s trade profile.

• Region-wise outputs will list regions (like Asia, Europe, etc.) as rows with aggregated values for each region. If further broken down, it might list countries under each region (depending on the exact report chosen).

Take a moment to interpret the table. The item descriptions and codes will help you identify products, and the values tell you the magnitude. One tip: if you see an “*” before a commodity description, note that the portal uses this to indicate the commodity or code is obsolete (dropped from the HS directory after a certain date). For most purposes, you can ignore the asterisk; it’s just a technical note about code updates.

Downloading Data and Further Analysis

One of the advantages of the TradeStat portal is that you can download the results for offline analysis. At the top of the results table, look for options like “Excel” or “Print”.

• Clicking Excel will download the currently displayed data as a Microsoft Excel file (.xls or .xlsx). This is extremely useful – you can open it in Excel or any spreadsheet software to sort, filter, make charts, or combine with other data. The downloaded file will typically contain the same table you see on screen, including headings and values.

• The Print option will format the results for printing (or saving as PDF). This is handy if you want a quick report or a hard copy of the data.

No login or payment is required to get this summary data – it’s publicly accessible and free. The data is sourced from the DGCI&S (Directorate General of Commercial Intelligence and Statistics), Kolkata, ensuring it’s official and up-to-date. In fact, the portal is updated regularly (monthly for the monthly data bank, and annually for the yearly data). Always note the “last updated” date on the page to ensure you have the latest figures.

With the data in hand, you can perform further analysis:

• Identify Top Products or Markets: By sorting the tables (either on the portal or in Excel after download), you can quickly see the top-ranking commodities or countries. For instance, a country-wise export report can tell you which countries are the largest buyers of Indian goods, and a commodity-wise import report shows which products dominate India’s imports.

• Drill Down for Details: If you start at a high level (say 2-digit HS chapter) and see a category of interest, you can drill deeper. For example, if you notice “85 – Machinery/Electrical” is a major export category, you can switch to 4-digit or 8-digit under chapter 85 to find which specific products (like mobile phones, generators, etc.) are contributing most. The search function can help isolate those products.

• Compare Periods (Trends): Although our guide avoids specific trend analysis, you can manually compare data from different months or years to spot growth or decline. For example, after getting the data for 2023-2024 and 2024-2025, one can see which commodities increased or which countries rose in rank. The portal itself might show percentage growth for year-over-year comparisons in some views (except when data is partial), but you can also calculate these in a spreadsheet.

• Industry-Level Insights: Because products are categorized by HS codes hierarchically, you can use the different levels to gain industry insights. A 2-digit code corresponds to an industry (like textiles, pharmaceuticals, automobiles, etc.). So if you want an industry overview, use the 2-digit level to see how that entire sector is performing in trade. For more granular insights, use 6 or 8-digit codes to focus on niche products. This way, an analyst can see both the forest and the trees – broad trends and specific opportunities. For example, an 8-digit analysis might reveal that within a booming chapter like “Medicaments (pharmaceutical products)”, a particular formulation or drug (say HS 30049011) is driving growth. Such detail is invaluable for businesses scouting market opportunities.

Finally, remember that the portal is a tool to retrieve data; the insights come from how you interpret it. Spend time formulating what you want to find – whether it's “Which new markets should I target for my product?” or “What raw materials is India importing the most?” – and then configure the portal’s options to get that data. With practice, navigating the TradeStat portal will become second nature, and you’ll be able to extract meaningful information quickly and confidently.

In summary, the TradeStat portal offers a user-friendly yet powerful way to access India’s official trade statistics. By choosing the correct trade type (export/import), time period (month or year), applying commodity filters (using HS codes or keywords), and selecting an appropriate report format (commodity-wise, country-wise, etc.), you can generate reports that answer a wide range of trade-related questions. The data can be viewed in your preferred units (USD, INR, quantity) and downloaded for further analysis. Whether you are an industry analyst looking at export performance or a new entrepreneur researching import trends for a product, this portal is an indispensable resource. Use it to inform decisions, back up reports with hard data, or simply to increase your understanding of India’s trade dynamics. Happy data exploring!

Sources: The information in this guide is based on the official TradeStat portal interface and documentation, including the portal’s help notes and practical usage examples. Key references include the Ministry of Commerce’s trade portal (tradestat.commerce.gov.in) and explanatory resources on HS code classification for understanding commodity filtering. The TradeStat system itself is maintained by India’s Department of Commerce with data sourced from DGCI&S, ensuring that users have access to reliable and authoritative trade statistics.

From Raw Data to Action: Making the Most of TradeStat Exports

Accessing trade statistics from the portal is only the beginning. The real value lies in how you analyze, interpret, and apply this data to drive decisions, insights, and strategy. Whether you’re an entrepreneur exploring new markets, a policy analyst studying economic dependencies, or a student conducting research, you now have the raw material—but it’s time to shape it into meaningful intelligence.

What to Do After Downloading the Data

Once you’ve downloaded the Excel report from TradeStat (commodity-wise, country-wise, or otherwise), here’s how you can start working with it:

1. Sort and Filter for Prioritization
   Use Excel’s filter and sort features to identify the top commodities, leading export destinations, or major import sources.
   For example: Sort the “Value” column in descending order to find the top 10 products India exported in that period.

2. Compare Across Years or Months
   Download data for multiple years or months.
   Place them side by side in Excel.
   Calculate percentage changes to identify rising or declining commodities or trade partners.

3. Use Pivot Tables for Custom Insights
   Create pivot tables to summarize trade by HS Code, region, or country.
   For example: A pivot table showing total exports per HS-2 code category across two years.

4. Identify Market Gaps or Dependencies
   Look at high-value imports where India lacks strong exports.
   Spot one-directional trade flows (heavy imports, minimal exports) as potential areas for Make in India initiatives.

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Accelerating Analysis Using BOAI [Barai Overseas AI]: Prompts and Workflows

Now that you have structured data (Excel or CSV), it’s time to get assistance from AI tools like ChatGPT, Excel Copilot, or Python-based models to streamline insights.

Here are effective ways to prompt AI for faster and smarter output:

Prompt 1: Commodity Performance Breakdown

"I have trade data of India’s exports in an Excel file. Each row contains HS code, product description, and value in USD. Can you summarize the top 10 export products and what percentage of total exports they represent?"

Prompt 2: Identify Key Trading Partners for a Sector

"Based on this trade data file, identify the top 5 countries importing pharmaceutical products from India. Use HS codes starting with 30 (pharmaceuticals) for the analysis."

Prompt 3: Year-over-Year Comparison

"I have two Excel files containing export data for the last two years. Can you compare them and highlight commodities with the highest growth and decline by value?"

Prompt 4: Import Dependency Detection

"From this import data, identify high-value commodities that India imports consistently but does not export in large volumes. Highlight categories that may represent domestic production opportunities."

Prompt 5: Trend Summary by Region

"I have trade data categorized by country. Can you aggregate this data by region (e.g., Asia, Europe, Africa) and show which regions India has the strongest trade relationships with?"

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Advanced Use-Cases with AI Tools

If you're using platforms like Python with Pandas, Power BI with AI integration, or Excel with Copilot, consider the following ideas:

• Clustering: Group related products based on trade volume to identify product clusters.

• Forecasting: Apply time-series models (like ARIMA or Prophet) to forecast future trade values for selected HS codes.

• Anomaly Detection: Detect unusual spikes or drops in trade data that could signal policy changes or global disruptions.

• Automated Classification: Use AI to automatically categorize HS codes into industry verticals for quicker reporting.

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Final Thought: Turning Data into Direction

The TradeStat portal gives you access to an ocean of official trade data. But the real value is unlocked when you use that data intelligently and intentionally. Whether your goal is to identify market opportunities, reduce dependency on imports, prepare a policy paper, or pitch a product abroad, your work begins after the download.

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