Pakistan’s exports fall 15.4% in November, marking fourth straight monthly decline

Pakistan’s merchandise exports fell 15.4% year-on-year in November, marking the fourth straight monthly decline of the ongoing fiscal year, according to the latest data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).

Export proceeds dropped to $2.398 billion in November, compared to $2.833 billion in the same month last year. Month-on-month, exports slipped 15.8%, extending a downward trend that began in August.

During July–November, export receipts declined 6.39% to $12.84 billion, compared with $13.72 billion in the same period a year earlier.

Policymakers fear that weakening global demand and subdued foreign orders are weighing on trade performance. Exporters, particularly in the textile sector, have pointed to high domestic costs as a key factor squeezing their competitiveness.

In contrast, the previous fiscal year had ended with export proceeds rising 4.67% to $32.1 billion. Export growth slowed sharply from October last year, turned negative in February, briefly recovered in March, and then resumed its decline in April, a pattern that has continued into the current fiscal year.