Trade deficit widens 34.57% in first half of FY2025 as exports decline

Pakistan’s trade deficit widened sharply during the first half of the current fiscal year, driven by a decline in domestic exports and a rise in imports, according to data released by the Federal Bureau of Statistics.

Official figures show the trade deficit increased by 34.57 percent during July–December 2025, reaching $19.204 billion, compared to the corresponding period of the previous fiscal year.

On a monthly basis, the trade deficit rose by 28.38 percent in December 2025, while on an annual basis it increased by 23.79 percent. The volume of the trade deficit during the month stood at $3.705 billion, the statistics agency reported.

Imports recorded an increase of 11.28 percent during the first six months of the fiscal year, with total imports amounting to $34.388 billion in July–December 2025. In December alone, imports stood at $6.22 billion.

In contrast, domestic exports declined by 8.70 percent during the same six-month period, with exports recorded at $15.18 billion. The statistics bureau reported that exports fell by 20.41 percent on a year-on-year basis in December, while a month-on-month decline of 4.26 percent was also recorded.

Domestic exports in December 2025 were valued at $2.31 billion, according to the Federal Bureau of Statistics.