Pakistan’s exports increased by 8.17% in the first eight months (July-February) of FY25, reaching $22.02 billion, compared to $20.36 billion in the same period last fiscal year, according to data from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).
Despite this export growth, the trade deficit widened by 6.33% during this period, amounting to $15.78 billion, up from $14.84 billion last year.
Imports saw a 7.4% increase, reaching $37.8 billion in July-February FY25, compared to $35.19 billion in the corresponding period of FY24. The growing trade imbalance highlights a higher import bill, even as export earnings show improvement.
On a year-on-year (YoY) basis, the trade deficit for February 2025 expanded by 33.43%, reaching $2.299 billion, compared to $1.723 billion in the same month last year.
Imports in February grew 10.03%, amounting to $4.738 billion, up from $4.306 billion in February 2024.
Meanwhile, exports for the month fell by 5.57%, dropping to $2.439 billion from $2.583 billion in February last year.
On a month-on-month (MoM) basis, the trade deficit in February 2025 remained almost unchanged at $2.299 billion, compared to $2.307 billion in January 2025.
However, exports declined by 17.35%, falling from $2.951 billion in January to $2.439 billion in February. Imports also saw a 9.89% decrease, dropping from $5.258 billion in January to $4.738 billion in February.
The trade data underscores persistent challenges in balancing exports and imports, with rising import costs continuing to put pressure on the trade deficit.
