Pakistan’s textile exports experienced a significant increase of 15.85 percent year-over-year in January 2025, reaching $1.686 billion, according to the latest data from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).
In the first seven months of the fiscal year 2024-25, total exports rose by 10.6 percent to $10.77 billion, primarily driven by finished goods, although exports of raw materials saw a decline.
Notable growth was observed in various textile categories: knitwear exports surged 29.3 percent to $468.3 million, readymade garments increased by 19.1 percent to $397 million, and bedwear rose 14.5 percent to $288.7 million. Additionally, cotton cloth exports grew by 3.35 percent to $165 million, while towel exports increased by 6.1 percent to $101.97 million. However, cotton yarn exports fell by 19.9 percent to $65 million, and raw cotton exports dropped to zero.
In contrast, food exports faced challenges, declining by 16.9 percent to $653.6 million in January. Rice exports were particularly affected, with a 33.2 percent drop to $319 million due to the reopening of the Indian market. Basmati rice exports fell by 13 percent to $77.8 million, while other rice varieties saw a 37.8 percent decrease to $241 million. Vegetable exports plummeted by 53.2 percent to $34.1 million, although sugar exports rose to $64.3 million from zero last year.
On the import side, petroleum imports increased by 3.45 percent to $1.37 billion. Crude oil imports rose by 18.8 percent to $435.6 million, petroleum products by 21.1 percent to $517.6 million, and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) by 21.2 percent to $105.9 million. In contrast, liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports fell by 29.6 percent to $313.3 million.
Machinery imports also saw a rise, climbing 18.4 percent to $887.7 million. Notably, textile machinery imports surged by 100.7 percent to $22.2 million, power generation machinery by 67.8 percent to $59.3 million, and agricultural machinery by 29.2 percent to $15.5 million.
Transport imports experienced a significant increase of 58 percent to $214 million, with CKD/SKD imports for heavy vehicles soaring by 159.4 percent to $128.2 million, including a remarkable 360.3 percent jump in buses and trucks to $43.34 million. Vehicle imports under CKD/SKD rose by 118.7 percent to $79 million, while completely built-up (CBU) imports fell by 15.9 percent to $27 million.
