Multinational firms repatriated one-year high profit of $385.6mn from Pakistan in Oct 2025

KARACHI: The multinational companies (MNCs) operating in Pakistan dispatched one-year high profit/dividend of $385.6 million to their headquarters in abroad in October 2025, according to State Bank of Pakistan’s (SBP) data released on Wednesday.

The foreign firms sent a total of $1.14 billion in the first four months (Jul-Oct) of the current fiscal year 2025-26, which is 39% higher compared to $818.4 million in the same period of the last year.

The firms that repatriated notably high profit to their headquarters in the four months belonged to China, United Kingdom and Netherlands, as they operated in power, finance business, communication, food, pharmaceutical, and tobacco sectors, according to the central bank data.

SBP governor calls for regional capital market integration to mobilise climate finance

The breakup of the data suggested the multinational firms sent the highest amount of profit at $372.3 million to China in the first four months, followed by $252.2 million to United Kingdom (UK).

They dispatched $113.8 to Netherlands, $95.1 million to UAE, $77.1 million to the United States (US), $37.1 million to Germany, and $35.4 million to Switzerland.

Last year, UK, US, and China were the top three countries, respectively, which received the highest profit dispatched by their firms from Pakistan.

Saad Hanif, Head of Research at Ismail Iqbal Securities, said the foreign firms repatriated higher profit/dividend in the wake of increase in availability of foreign exchange (FX) reserves in Pakistan over the past one year, as many multinational firms paid higher dividend to their shareholders including foreign owners of the firms.

He recalled that the FX reserves had increased to $14.5 billion in October 2025 compared to around $11 billion a year ago in October 2024.

“Many firms, including the ones listed at Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX), have paid notably higher dividend for the period [quarter, half-year, or full-year] ended June 2025. The firms paid lucrative dividend were from banking, manufacturing, and pharmaceutical companies at the PSX,” he said.

Besides, Pakistan has also allowed apparently the Chinese power companies (IPPs/independent power producers) to send the pending profit/dividend to headquarter after FX reserves surged in the wake of receipt of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) tranches and increase in inflows of workers’ remittances, as per Hanif.

Sector-wise repatriation

The foreign firms operating in the power sector sent the highest amount of profit to their headquarters abroad at $341.7 million in the four month of FY26, followed by $226.7 million repatriated by the firms operating in the financial business sector.

MNCs operating in food sector of Pakistan dispatched $76 million to their headquarters.

SBP purchased US dollars worth $7.15bn in 12 months ending July 2025: report

The firms belonging to pharmaceuticals and OTC Products sent $75 million. Communication firms belonging to telecom, information technology, and postal and courier services repatriated $72.3 million. Tobacco and cigarettes firms sent $66.2 million in the four months of FY26.

Last year, food, power and financial business were the top three sectors that dispatched notably higher profit to their headquarters in the same four month of FY25, according to the central bank data.