New Delhi, May 15 -- New Delhi: India's merchandise trade deficit rose to a five-month high of $26.42 billion in April on the back of higher imports, even as exports rose provisional data released by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry on Thursday showed.

Merchandise exports rose to $38.49 billion in April by value from $35.30 billion in the year-ago period.

Goods imports rose to $64.91 billion by value in April, up from $54.49 billion a year ago.

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March's goods exports stood at $41.97 billion, while imports were $63.51 billion, compared with $36.91 billion of exports and $50.96 billion of imports in February.

The merchandise trade deficit-the dif...