IslamabadThe trade deficit in Pakistan expanded by 18 percent on an annual basis (YOY) in January 2025, to reach $ 2.3 billion, up from $ 1.96 billion in the same month of the previous year, according to the data issued by the Pakistani Statistics Office (PBS) on a day Monday.
In January 2025, exports witnessed a modest increase of 4.6 percent, totaling $ 2.92 billion, compared to $ 2.792 billion in January 2024. imports grew by 10 percent, increasing to $ 5.233 billion from $ 4.756 billion in the same month the previous year.
On a monthly basis to a month, the trade deficit showed a slight improvement, as it decreased by 5.5 percent compared to December 2024, when it reached $ 2.447 billion. Exports in January 2025 were slightly higher than $ 2.911 billion in December 2024. However, imports saw a decrease of 2.3 percent, with a decrease from 5.358 billion dollars in December to $ 5.233 billion in January.
During the first seven months of the current fiscal year (7MFY25), the trade deficit remained relatively stable at 13.49 billion dollars, which reflects an increase of less than 3 percent of 13.116 billion dollars registered during the same period of the previous fiscal year.
Pakistan exports increased during a 7 -month period by 10 percent, reaching 19.551 billion dollars, compared to $ 17.77 billion in the same year of the fiscal year 24. However, imports also witnessed an increase, as it increased by 6.9 percent to 33.03 billion A dollar, compared to $ 30.0 billion during the same period of the 24th year.
Data emphasizes the ongoing challenges in the country’s trade budget with highlighting growth in exports, even as the import bill continues to rise.
