Breakup of Pakistan’s trade data in September: PBS

October 15, 2026 (MLN): Pakistan's trade deficit widened 7.26% month-on-month to $3.53bn in September 2026 from $3.29bn in August, as an 11.47% rise in imports offset a stronger 16.94% gain in exports.

The gap was also 5.43% wider than the $3.35bn recorded in September 2025, showing that import growth continues to run ahead of export growth on a year-on-year basis.

According to provisional data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), exports rose to $2.96bn in September from $2.53bn in August, and were up 18.49% from $2.50bn a year earlier.

Imports increased to $6.49bn from $5.82bn in August, and were 11.01% higher than the $5.85bn recorded in September 2025. In rupee terms, exports stood at Rs821.20bn and imports at Rs1,802.99bn, leaving a monthly rupee trade shortfall of Rs981.79bn.

The cumulative picture is wider still. For July-September FY2026-27, exports rose 11.13% year-on-year to $8.45bn, but imports climbed 13.20% to $19.21bn, pushing the quarterly deficit to $10.77bn, 14.87% wider than the $9.37bn recorded in the same period last year.

Exports grew faster than imports in percentage terms, but because imports are the larger base, the dollar increase on the import side was bigger, so the deficit still widened.

September 2026 Trade Snapshot

Source: Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, Advance Release on External Trade Statistics, September 2026

Cumulative July-September, FY2026-27 vs FY2025-26

Source: Pakistan Bureau of Statistics

WHAT MOVED EXPORTS

Textiles remained the backbone of the export basket. Knitwear, the largest earner at Rs132.59bn, edged up 1.45% month-on-month and 1.23% year-on-year, while readymade garments (Rs109.86bn) gained 7.81% on the month and 18.51% on the year, the strongest yearly showing among the big textile lines.

Bed wear (Rs80.08bn) rose 13.08% month-on-month but was 1.11% lower year-on-year, and cotton cloth (Rs41.33bn) gained 10.54% on the month but slipped 2.20% on the year. Towels (Rs27.85bn) rose 18.33% month-on-month and 15.00% year-on-year. Cotton yarn (Rs18.42bn) was the notable laggard, down 29.53% month-on-month, though still 3.43% higher on the year.

Rice was the standout. Basmati exports (Rs31.12bn) rose 27.85% month-on-month and 168.88% year-on-year, while other rice varieties (Rs41.18bn) climbed 42.24% and 131.18%, respectively. Together the two categories brought in over Rs72bn in September.

Petroleum products (excluding top naphtha) exports of Rs21.35bn more than doubled, rising 117.18% month-on-month and 117.38% year-on-year, though from a small base.

WHAT MOVED IMPORTS

Energy remained the largest import line, though its two components moved in opposite directions. Petroleum products imports rose 22.74% month-on-month and 42.62% year-on-year to Rs163.17bn, while crude oil imports fell 28.47% month-on-month and 5.78% year-on-year to Rs143.90bn. Together, the two categories made up roughly 17% of the month’s import bill.

The sharper pressure came from non-energy lines. Iron and steel imports (Rs80.85bn) jumped 60.50% month-on-month and 31.12% year-on-year, while iron and steel scrap (Rs69.06bn) rose 23.75% and 37.86%, respectively. Plastic materials (Rs87.31bn) gained 28.03% month-on-month and 31.22% year-on-year.

Motor cars (CKD/SKD) imports of Rs68.15bn rose 46.45% on the month and 59.53% on the year, the steepest yearly increase among the top ten import items.

Palm oil imports (Rs96.31bn) rose 27.28% month-on-month but remained 5.34% lower year-on-year. Electrical machinery and apparatus (Rs77.49bn) fell 9.11% on the month but was up 4.75% on the year. Raw cotton (Rs42.04bn) slipped 10.62% month-on-month while gaining 8.54% year-on-year, and mobile phone imports (Rs39.75bn) rose 6.95% on the month but were down 29.23% on the year.

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