ISLAMABAD: Negative growth in all major exportable categories apart from textile and an upsurge in petroleum imports ballooned the trade deficit to USD12.7 billion, showing an increase of 39 percent in the July-October period of 2025-26.
According to an advance release on external trade statistics issued by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, on a year-on-year (YoY) basis, exports declined by 4 percent to USD10.4 billion in the first four months of FY26. Whereas the imports increased by 15.5 percent in the same corresponding period of FY26 to 12.7 billion.
In October FY26, the exports declined by 4.5 percent on a YoY basis, but on a month-on-month (MoM) basis, they increased by 14 percent, reaching USD2.8 billion. The imports in October on a YoY basis increased by 21.65 percent, and on a MoM basis, they are up by 4.84 percent to reach USD6.13 billion.
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In the July-October FY26 period, food exports declined by 35 percent. Among food items, the major casualty is rice, which exports nosedived by 46.4 percent with a decline of 39 percent in Basmati rice and a 49.65 percent reduction in IRRI-6 &9 rice. The aftermaths of flood hit the vegetable and tobacco exports badly which down by 41 percent and 28.5 percent respectively. During the corresponding period, among food group only fish & fish preparations and fruit exports increased by 12.8 percent and 11.78 percent, respectively.
The textile exports in the July-October FY26 period nominally increased by 4 percent. A major increase is witnessed in the exports of tents, canvas & tarpaulin by 32.34 percent. Whereas knitwear exports increased by 8.23 percent, cotton yarn by 7.74 percent, non-cotton yarn by 7.50 percent, bedwear by 6.94 percent, and readymade garments by 5.11 percent. Whereas exports of cotton cloth declined by 12.75 percent, and towels by 0.28 percent, and art, silk & synthetic textile by 0.98 percent respectively.
Among other major items, carpet, rug, and mat exports declined by 12 percent, and leather tanned by 2.45 percent. The sports goods exports increased by 17.74 percent. among which football exports increased by 26 percent and gloves exports reduced by 9.18 percent. The exports of leather products are nominally down by 0.34 percent. Whereas footwear exports witnessed an increase of only 1.12 percent.
During the July-Oct FY26,a major increase was witnessed in the petroleum products by 10.47 percent and petroleum crude by 13.57 percent, and a decline in the LNG, 29.18 percent. Among the textile group, synthetic fibre and worn clothing increased by 37 percent and 12 percent, respectively.
In October FY26,the knitwear exports increased by 3.27 percent on aMoM basis, but nominally down by 0.80 percent on a YoY basis, readymade exports up by 12.46 percent on a MoM and 3.73 percent on a YoY basis, and bed wear by 1.04 percent on a MoM and 7.25 percent on a YoY basis. Whereas IRRI-6 & 9 rice, etc, were down by 62.5 percent on a YoY basis, whereas up by 71 percent on a MoM basis. The Basmati rice export is down by 20.29 percent on a YoY basis but up by 31.3 percent on MoM basis.
Among major imports in October, petroleum crude imports increased by 79.84 percent on a YoY basis and by 0.15 percent on a MoM basis. The petroleum products import also increased by 38 percent on a YoY basis and 33.6 percent on a MoM basis. Palm oil imports increased by 19 percent on a YoY basis but down by 10 percent on a MoM basis. Iron & steel scrap imports up by 17 percent on a YoY and 9 percent on MoM basis.
Apart from this, motor cars (CKD/SKD) imports up by 155 percent on a YoY and 12.73 percent on a MoM basis. The import of mobile phones declined by 16 percent on a YoY and 27.5 percent on MoM basis.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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