Exports on the move as September growth beats imports

October 05, 2026 (MLN): Pakistan's goods exports grew faster than imports in September 2026 on both a year-on-year and month-on-month basis, a sign of strengthening export momentum, with shipments rising 17.6% YoY to $2.94bn from $2.50bn a year earlier and 16.1% MoM from $2.53bn in August.

Khurram Schehzad, in a post on X, said the export growth outpacing import growth in September was a welcome development.

He noted that despite regional challenges, the sustained rise in exports is an important positive, with the country exporting materially more than a year ago.

For the first quarter of FY27 (Jul-Sep 2026), goods exports totaled $8.42bn, up 10.8% YoY.

This translates into nearly $825mn of additional exports compared to the same period last year.

He said the growth was broad-based across major sectors.

Agri and food exports rose 23% YoY during the quarter, followed by manufacturing, mining and energy at 17% and textiles and apparel at 6%.

September saw particularly strong gains, with agri and food exports surging 62% YoY, while manufacturing grew 35% MoM.

He added that the double-digit growth of nearly 11% in 1QFY27, supported by gains across major export sectors, marks an encouraging start to the year and supports Pakistan's broader objective of moving towards export-led, sustainable growth.

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