Pakistan external front worries have been mounting since the last fifteen years. Last time Pakistan posted a positive trade balance was in May – Jun 2003; Pakistan’s trade balance during the month of July was $ 116.4 million.

However, since then Pakistan has had to go through a rough patch of history because of US involvement in the region and the resulting insurgency at home. Governments since then have taken numerous steps to fix the negative trade balance.

During the last fifteen years, Petroleum Group exports have contributed a total of $ 12.453 billion inflows to the trade balance. Petroleum group exports during the current fiscal year 2018 continue to post strong growth.

*Mettis Global, Petroleum Group Exports April 2017 – Feb 2018

According to data released by Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, exports in petroleum group sector during the first eight months of fiscal year 2018 jumped up by 131.59 percent clocking in at $ 264.87 million.

However, month on month total petroleum group exports during February 2018 went down by 4.72 percent clocking in at $ 49.423 million down from $ 51.873 million in January as well.

Of the total petroleum exports, the petroleum crude exports YoY from February last year went up by 100 percent during the period. Total petroleum crude exports during the month of February 2018 reached $ 23.1 million.

Of the other items in the Petroleum Group, year on year petroleum product group exports went up by 181.72 percent to reach reaching $ 19.163 million, petroleum top Naptha exports went down by 4.09 percent during the period.