Trade deficit soars 46% in September

October 02, 2025 (MLN): Pakistan's trade imbalance deteriorated sharply in September 2025, with the deficit soaring by 45.83% on a YoY basis, driven by a double-digit rise in imports and a decline in exports.

According to the latest data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), the trade deficit reached $3.341 billion in September 2025, a massive increase from the $2.291bn recorded in September 2024.

Imports surged by 14% YoY, rising to $5.845bn from $5.127bn a year earlier. 

On the other hand, the exports witnessed a sharp decline, dropping by 11.71% to $2.504bn from $2.836bn in September 2024.

The poor performance in the trade balance was evident month-on-month (MoM) as well.

The deficit widened by 16.33% in September 2025 compared to the $2.872bn figure reported in August 2025.

This MoM deterioration was caused by imports rising by 10.53% from $5.288bn in August to $5.845bn in September.

In contrast, exports showed only a modest gain of 3.64%, inching up from $2.416bn in August 2025 to $2.504bn in September 2025.

Cumulative deficit spikes over 32% in Q1

The cumulative trend for the first quarter of the fiscal year 2025-26 (July–September) paints a challenging picture for the economy.

The total trade deficit for the quarter reached $9.368bn, representing a substantial increase of 32.92% compared to the $7.048bn recorded in the corresponding period of the previous fiscal year.

Imports for the quarter stood at $16.971bn, up 13.49% from $14.954bn last year.

Exports for the July–September period totaled $7.603bn, showing a decline of 3.83% compared to the $7.906bn achieved in the same period last year.

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