By Ali Imran
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s trade deficit surged by 32.92 percent during the first quarter of the current fiscal year (July–September), reaching $9.36 billion, according to official data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).
The rise in deficit was driven by a sharp increase in imports coupled with a decline in exports. Imports in Pakistan during July–September climbed 13.49 percent, amounting to $16.97 billion, while exports fell 3.83 percent, settling at $7.60 billion.
On a monthly basis, the trade deficit of Pakistan in September 2025 widened significantly, recording a 45.83 percent increase year-on-year, reaching $3.34 billion. Compared to August 2025, the deficit also jumped 16.33 percent.
Imports in September stood at $5.84 billion, while exports dropped 11.71 percent year-on-year, amounting to $2.50 billion.
Economists warn that the widening gap between imports and exports highlights Pakistan’s growing external sector challenges, putting additional pressure on foreign exchange reserves and the balance of payments.
Earlier in July, Pakistan’s trade deficit widened to $2.75 billion in July 2025, marking a 16.02% increase compared to June 2025, according to the latest data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).
Pakistan’s exports also witnessed an increase of 16.91 percent during the first month of the current fiscal year (July) as compared to the corresponding month of last year, the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) reported Wednesday.
According to PBS data, the exports in July (FY2025-26) were recorded at $2.697 billion as compared to the exports of $2.307 billion in July (FY2024-25).
The imports during July 2025 also increased by 29.25 percent and were recorded at $5.449 billion against the imports of $4.216 billion in last July.
Based on the figures, the trade deficit increased by 44.16 percent by increasing from $1.909 billion last July to $2.752 billion, this year.
Meanwhile, on month-on-month basis, the exports from the country witnessed an increase of 8.88 percent in July when compared to the exports of $2.477 billion in June 2025.
