Continuing its declining trend, India's exports shrank by about 20.19 per cent in May to 22.34 billion US Dollars, marking a fall for the sixth straight month. The slump in exports is mainly due to global slowdown, dip in crude oil prices and rupee appreciation. In May 2014, the country's merchandise exports stood at 27.99 billion US Dollars.The last time exports registered a positive growth was in November last year when it expanded 7.27 per cent. Imports, too, declined 16.52 per cent to 32.75 billion US Dollars.According to data released by the commerce ministry, Trade deficit narrowed to 10.4 billion US Dollars in the month under review compared with 11.23 billion US Dollars in May 2014.Gold imports, however, grew 10.47 per cent to 2.42 billion US Dollars in May.During April-May 2015, exports fell 17.21 per cent to 44.4 billion US Dollars.Imports, too, shrank 12.2 per cent to 65.8 billion US Dollars, resulting in a trade deficit of 21.39 billion US Dollars in the first two months of the current fiscal. In March, country's exports contracted 21 per cent, the biggest fall in the last six years. India has missed the annual exports target of 340 billion US Dollars for 2014-15. Last year, exports stood at 310.5 billion US Dollars.