Imports rise nearly 19% YoY to $6.94bn as knitwear, garments and bedwear lead export growth.

News Desk

Pakistan’s exports rose sharply in July 2026, reaching $2,962 million, up 32.11% from $2,242 million in June and 10.40% higher than the $2,683 million recorded in July 2025, according to provisional figures from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. 

In rupee terms, exports totalled Rs823,553 million, up from Rs624,159 million in June and Rs762,578 million in July 2025.

The top ten export commodities for the month, by value, were knitwear (Rs148,409 million), readymade garments (Rs127,888 million), bed wear (Rs85,768 million), cotton cloth (Rs39,362 million), rice (others) (Rs34,355 million), towels (Rs29,573 million), made-up articles excluding towels and bedwear (Rs21,466 million), basmati rice (Rs21,272 million), petroleum products excluding top naphtha (Rs21,031 million), and cotton yarn (Rs18,496 million).

Month-on-month, knitwear rose 46.43%, readymade garments 45.71%, bed wear 46.96%, cotton cloth 26.12%, towels 60.18%, made-up articles 58.34% and cotton yarn 3.79%, while rice (others) slipped 0.59% and basmati rice fell 14.72%. Petroleum products rose 7.71% month-on-month.

Year-on-year, knitwear was up 1.79%, readymade garments 12.50%, bed wear 1.89%, towels 10.90%, made-up articles 8.16%, rice (others) 7.79%, basmati rice 34.43%, petroleum products 97.02% and cotton yarn 16.10%, while cotton cloth declined 2.28% annually.

Imports into Pakistan reached $6,940 million in July, up 0.59% from $6,899 million in June and 18.90% higher than $5,837 million in July 2025. 

In rupee terms, imports totalled Rs1,932,034 million, against Rs1,922,982 million in June and Rs1,658,966 million in July 2025.

The top ten import commodities, by value, were electrical machinery and apparatus (Rs153,001 million), petroleum crude (Rs143,920 million), petroleum products (Rs136,827 million), palm oil (Rs99,927 million), plastic materials (Rs90,531 million), iron and steel (Rs87,220 million), iron and steel scrap (Rs67,820 million), motor cars in CKD/SKD form (Rs52,298 million), raw cotton (Rs51,876 million), and liquefied natural gas (Rs49,176 million).

Month-on-month, electrical machinery and apparatus rose 67.27%, palm oil 48.80%, plastic materials 7.66%, iron and steel 32.39% and iron and steel scrap 22.06%, while petroleum crude fell 37.45%, petroleum products 36.59%, motor cars 21.89%, raw cotton 15.48% and liquefied natural gas 13.90%.

Year-on-year, electrical machinery and apparatus rose 83.89%, petroleum crude 27.17%, palm oil 16.18%, plastic materials 17.13%, iron and steel 26.42%, iron and steel scrap 54.55%, motor cars 36.81% and raw cotton 27.35%, while petroleum products fell 24.19% annually and liquefied natural gas declined 25.18%.

Based on the provisional trade figures, Pakistan’s trade deficit for July 2026 stood at $3,978 million, or Rs1,108,481 million in rupee terms.

Published Date: August 19, 2026