Pakistan’s trade deficit jumps nearly 46% from last year to $3.34 billion

Cash-strapped Pakistan’s trade deficit ballooned to $3.34 billion in September, marking a nearly 46 per cent increase from last year, official data showed, as imports surged and exports shrank, increasing pressure on the country’s fragile external sector and threatening currency stability.

The deficit, up from $2.29 billion in September last year, was fuelled by a 14 per cent jump in imports to $5.85 billion, while exports slid 11.7 per cent to $2.5 billion, The News reported Friday, citing data from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).

Compared with August 2025, the gap widened by 16.3 per cent. For the July–September quarter of the ongoing fiscal year, the trade gap swelled 32.9 per cent year-on-year to $9.37 billion.

Imports during the period climbed 13.5 per cent to $16.97 billi