ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s trade deficit widened 46% in September to $3.34 billion as imports outpaced exports, the country’s statistics bureau said on Thursday, adding pressure on the country’s foreign exchange reserves.
The development comes as the cash-strapped country struggles to stabilize its foreign exchange reserves, amid looming debt repayments and limited avenues of fresh inflows. The total liquid reserves held by the country stood at $19.80 billion as of September 26, according to the State Bank of Pakistan.
The latest data from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) revealed that the trade deficit had increased by $1.05 billion, compared to $2.29 billion in the same month last year.
“Last month, the country’s imports surged 14% to $5.85 billion vs $5.13 billion last year,” the PBS said in its report. “Exports declined 12% to $2.5 billion vs $2.84 billion year earlier.”
The trade gap widened 33% to $9.37 billion in the third quarter of 2025, compared to $7.05 billion in the same period last year, according to the report. Pakistan’s exports fell 4% from $7.91 billion to $7.6 billion on a quarterly basis, while imports surged 13.5% from $14.9 billion to $16.9 billion.
