Pakistan’s trade deficit widened significantly by over 20 percent in September 2024, reaching $1.8 billion, according to the latest data from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS). This marks a 20.4 percent increase from the $1.47 billion trade deficit recorded in September 2023.

In September 2024, the country’s exports rose to $2.8 billion, reflecting a 14.1 percent increase compared to the same month last year and a slight 1.6 percent rise from the previous month.

Meanwhile, imports for September 2024 were reported at $4.6 billion, up from $3.9 billion in September 2023. On a month-on-month basis, imports saw a modest increase of 1.7 percent.

For the first quarter of the fiscal year 2025 (1QFY25), the trade deficit expanded by 4.2 percent year-on-year, totaling $5.4 billion.

The increase in the trade deficit highlights ongoing challenges in balancing the country’s import and export activities, despite growth in export figures.