Pakistan’s trade deficit widened 25.17% year-on-year to $3.948 billion in July 2026, as imports continued to outpace export growth, according to the latest merchandise trade statistics released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).
The country’s exports rose to $2.939 billion in July, compared with $2.683 billion in the same month last year, registering a 9.54% annual increase. Meanwhile, imports climbed 18% year-on-year to $6.887 billion, up from $5.837 billion in July 2025.
The faster growth in imports pushed the trade deficit from $3.154 billion in July 2025 to $3.948 billion this year.
Exports Jump on Monthly Basis
Compared with June 2026, exports recorded a strong 31.09% month-on-month increase, rising from $2.242 billion to $2.939 billion.
Imports, however, remained largely stable, declining 0.17% month-on-month from $6.899 billion in June to $6.887 billion in July.
As a result, the monthly trade deficit narrowed 15.22%, falling from $4.657 billion in June 2026 to $3.948 billion in July.
Trade Figures in Rupee Terms
In local currency, Pakistan’s trade deficit increased 22.73% year-on-year to Rs1.10 trillion in July 2026, compared with Rs896.39 billion in July 2025.
Exports in rupee terms rose 7.17% to Rs817.25 billion, while imports increased 15.58% to Rs1.92 trillion over the same period.
On a monthly basis, rupee-denominated exports surged 30.94% from Rs624.16 billion in June to Rs817.25 billion in July. Imports edged down 0.29%, while the trade deficit narrowed 15.3% from Rs1.30 trillion to Rs1.10 in trillion.
The latest PBS data indicates that although Pakistan recorded healthy export growth during July, the sharper rise in imports continued to widen the annual trade gap, underscoring ongoing external sector challenges.
