Trade Deficit Surges Over 20% in September 2024
According to data from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), the country’s trade deficit has escalated by 20.4% in September 2024, reaching $1.780 billion, compared to $1.47 billion in September 2023.
On a monthly basis, the trade deficit widened by 1.89%, up from $1.747 billion in August 2024.
In September 2024, exports amounted to $2.8 billion, reflecting a 13.5% increase year-on-year and a slight rise of 1.6% from the previous month. Over the first three months of the fiscal year 2024-25 (July-September), exports rose by 14.11%, totaling $7.875 billion compared to $6.901 billion in the same period of the previous fiscal year.
Imports for September were recorded at $4.6 billion, up from $3.9 billion in September 2023, marking a month-on-month increase of 1.7%. The significant rise in both exports and imports underscores ongoing challenges in balancing trade for the country.
