The Hindu Editorial Vocabulary 19th April 2024

Vocabulary plays an important role in improving communication skills. Aspirants preparing for government exams should keep a strong command of vocab to get good scores in English. Start your journey to cover new difficult words daily with contextual meanings in the Hindu Editorial Vocabulary 19th April 2024.

The Hindu Vocab on India’s Merchandise Exports

India’s goods exports, after a year of tepid demand and prices, face fresh turbulence

India’s merchandise exports hit a 12-month peak of $41.7 billion last month, marginally (by a very small amount) lower than March 2023 and a tad higher than February’s $41.4 billion figure. Imports fell 6% to $57.3 billion, taking the trade deficit to an 11-month low. The last two months’ robust (strong and unlikely to break or fail) export numbers bolstered (to support or improve something or make it stronger) the tally for outbound shipments from $354 billion at the end of January to $437.1 billion for the full year, just 3% short of the record $451 billion performance in 2022-23. Amid a decline in commodity (a substance or product that can be traded, bought, or sold) prices, which averaged about 14% lower last year, this is a commendable (deserving praise) outcome, aided by demand proving more resilient than earlier anticipated in major markets. That imports dipped at a higher 4.8% pace has also cushioned the trade deficit, and economists now expect the January-March quarter to end up with a small but rare current account surplus (an amount that is more than is needed). Services trade data for the full year will be available later, but the Commerce Ministry estimates that total exports in 2023-24 were fractionally higher than the previous year at $776.7 billion. Trade mandarins believe goods exports have entered a positive growth cycle, having coped with persistent (continuing to exist past the usual time, or continuing to do something in a determined way even when facing difficulties or opposition) strife — from Ukraine to Palestine and the Red Sea. Last week, the World Trade Organization (WTO) downgraded (to reduce someone or something to a lower rank or position; to make less important or less valued) its global trade volume growth projection to 2.6% from 3.3% reckoned earlier, with risks tilted towards the downside. This is despite favourable base effects from its revision for 2023 trade volumes, which the WTO says tanked 1.2% compared with a 0.8% dip expected earlier. Export (to send goods to another country for sale) volumes from Asia are expected to rise 3.4% in 2024, with imports (to buy or bring in products from another country) climbing 5.6%. In India, a healthy monsoon is expected to spur domestic demand, including for discretionary (able to be decided by a particular person or group, rather than being controlled by rules, or relating to the power to make these decisions) imports. But sustained disruptions on two of the world’s key shipping routes — the Suez and Panama Canals — along with geopolitical (connected with political activity as influenced by the physical features of a country or area, or with the study of the way a country’s size, position, etc. influence its power and its relationships with other countries) fault lines and an increasing scepticism about the benefits of global trade in several countries, pose creeping risks that have not fully manifested yet. Exporters do not seem so sure about the upbeat official outlook — they need to start raising prices soon to catch up with shipping cost surges, exposing them to competitive pressures. For Asia and India, any prolonged (continuing for a long time) friction in the Strait of Hormuz, a key supply route for the region’s oil and gas imports, is the biggest threat to trade and macroeconomic balances. The spike in crude prices already showed up in March as the petroleum trade deficit hit a record monthly high of $11.8 billion while oil exports slid to an eight-month low. India’s high energy import dependence (the situation in which you need something or someone all the time, especially in order to continue existing or operating) is known, and any spurt in global energy and food prices would also derail hopes of global interest rate cuts and improved demand.

The Hindu Editorial Vocabulary Wordlist 19th April 2024

Start your journey to know new words regularly. The Hindu Editorial Vocabulary 19th April 2024 gives you a glimpse of the contextual meaning of difficult words.

• Marginally: By a very small amount.
• Robust: Strong and unlikely to break or fail.
• Bolstered: To support or improve something or make it stronger.
• Commodity: A substance or product that can be traded, bought, or sold.
• Commendable: Deserving praise.
• Surplus: An amount that is more than is needed.
• Persistent: Continuing to exist past the usual time, or continuing to do something in a determined way even when facing difficulties or opposition.
• Downgraded: To reduce someone or something to a lower rank or position; to make less important or less valued.
• Export: To send goods to another country for sale.
• Import: To buy or bring in products from another country.
• Discretionary: Able to be decided by a particular person or group, rather than being controlled by rules, or relating to the power to make these decisions.
• Geopolitical: Connected with political activity as influenced by the physical features of a country or area, or with the study of the way a country’s size, position, etc. influence its power and its relationships with other countries.
• Prolonged: Continuing for a long time.
• Dependence: The situation in which you need something or someone all the time, especially in order to continue existing or operating.

The Hindu Vocab Master 19th April with Synonyms & Antonyms

Read the Hindu Vocab Master Words on 19th April 2024 to know synonyms and antonyms of difficult words.

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