<p class="ds-markdown-paragraph" style="margin: 16px 0px; color: rgb(15, 17, 21); font-family: quote-cjk-patch, Inter, system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, &quot;Segoe UI&quot;, Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, &quot;Open Sans&quot;, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span class="">India's merchandise exports to West Asia declined 7.2% year-on-year during the first half of FY 2026–27, as the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the broader regional conflict disrupted trade flows to the Gulf's traditional markets . The data, reported by The Times of India and Maritime Gateway on 10–11 November 2026, confirms that the maritime disruption has had a measurable impact on India's export performance in a region that is among its most important trading partners.</span></p><p class="ds-markdown-paragraph" style="margin: 16px 0px; color: rgb(15, 17, 21); font-family: quote-cjk-patch, Inter, system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, &quot;Segoe UI&quot;, Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, &quot;Open Sans&quot;, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span class="">The decline was concentrated in specific product categories. Shipments of petrol and diesel to GCC and other West Asian countries are estimated to have fallen 27% to $3.5 billion, while gold and other jewellery exports to the Gulf trading bloc dropped 8.6% to $3.2 billion, according to the latest commerce department data . Mobile phone exports also recorded a decline . These are categories where the Gulf has historically been a significant destination for Indian goods, and their contraction reflects both the physical disruption to shipping and the broader economic effects of the conflict on Gulf demand.</span></p><p class="ds-markdown-paragraph" style="margin: 16px 0px; color: rgb(15, 17, 21); font-family: quote-cjk-patch, Inter, system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, &quot;Segoe UI&quot;, Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, &quot;Open Sans&quot;, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span class="">Two countries defied the regional trend, and their performance reveals the adaptive strategies that are emerging. Oman's imports from India jumped 45% to $3.2 billion during April–September, driven by the India-Oman free trade agreement implemented a few months ago, which has boosted exports of ships and boats, processed minerals, chemicals, basmati rice, and iron and steel . But Oman's gains are not solely a function of the FTA. As the Strait of Hormuz remains disrupted, Oman's ports have become a gateway to the UAE, with goods destined for the Emirates routed through Omani territory rather than through the blocked maritime corridor . This dual role—as both a destination market and a transit point—has amplified Oman's importance in India's West Asian trade.</span></p><p class="ds-markdown-paragraph" style="margin: 16px 0px; color: rgb(15, 17, 21); font-family: quote-cjk-patch, Inter, system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, &quot;Segoe UI&quot;, Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, &quot;Open Sans&quot;, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span class="">Jordan's performance was even more striking. Exports to Jordan soared 2.4 times to $1.2 billion during April–September . Trade think tank GTRI identified four product groups that accounted for $592.7 million of the total increase of close to $700 million: petrol and diesel nearly trebled from $110.3 million to $327.3 million, basmati rice shot up from $47.6 million to $253.5 million, buffalo meat exports rose from $48.8 million to $192.4 million, and medicine exports increased from $13.5 million to $39.7 million . The Federation of Indian Export Organisations noted that Jordan may be serving a dual role for Indian exporters—as a growing destination market in its own right and as a potential gateway to other markets in West Asia and North Africa . The exceptional growth in buffalo meat and pharmaceutical exports suggests that regional distribution and possible re-export activity are contributing factors, beyond simple demand growth in Jordan itself.</span></p><p class="ds-markdown-paragraph" style="margin: 16px 0px; color: rgb(15, 17, 21); font-family: quote-cjk-patch, Inter, system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, &quot;Segoe UI&quot;, Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, &quot;Open Sans&quot;, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span class="">The broader context is one of partial recovery rather than sustained decline. Earlier data showed that India's exports to West Asia had fallen to $4.2 billion in April, the month after the conflict began, but recovered to $5.01 billion in August, still below the $6.48 billion recorded in January 2026 . This trajectory indicates that the initial shock of the Hormuz closure has been partially absorbed, with trade finding alternative routes and markets adjusting to the new logistics environment. The 7.2% decline for the half-year reflects the cumulative effect of the disruption, not a collapse of the trade relationship.</span></p><p class="ds-markdown-paragraph" style="margin: 16px 0px; color: rgb(15, 17, 21); font-family: quote-cjk-patch, Inter, system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, &quot;Segoe UI&quot;, Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, &quot;Open Sans&quot;, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span class="">For India's export logistics sector, the data illustrates how geopolitical disruption redistributes trade flows rather than eliminating them. While traditional Gulf markets like the UAE and Saudi Arabia have seen declines, Oman and Jordan have absorbed some of the redirected volume. The ships and boats category that grew in Oman's imports is particularly notable because it reflects India's own shipbuilding and maritime capabilities being deployed in a region where shipping capacity has become scarce. The basmati rice that flowed to both Oman and Jordan, meanwhile, shows that food staples remain resilient even as discretionary and industrial goods face pressure.</span></p><p class="ds-markdown-paragraph" style="margin: 16px 0px; color: rgb(15, 17, 21); font-family: quote-cjk-patch, Inter, system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, &quot;Segoe UI&quot;, Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, &quot;Open Sans&quot;, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span class="">Looking ahead, the trajectory of India's West Asia exports will depend on whether the Hormuz disruption eases and whether the alternative channels that have developed—through Oman as a gateway and Jordan as a distribution hub—can sustain their growth. The FTA with Oman provides a durable foundation for that relationship, while Jordan's role as a re-export platform may prove more contingent on the continuation of the current disruption. For now, the data confirms that India's export relationship with West Asia is adapting rather than contracting, with the losses concentrated in specific categories and the gains demonstrating the flexibility of traders and logistics operators in finding new routes to market.</span></p>