# Pakistan's trade deficit widens 20% to $3.88 billion in October as imports rise 12%

Source: Searchable (https://searchable.pk/news/economy/pakistans-trade-deficit-widens-20percent-to-dollar388-billion-in-october-as)
Type: News article
Author: Searchable Editorial
Published: 6 Nov 2026
Updated: 6 Nov 2026
Retrieved: 6 Nov 2026

> Exports grew only 2.8% while imports jumped nearly 12%, taking the four-month deficit to $14.63 billion, up 16% on last year.

Pakistan's goods trade deficit widened by nearly 20% to **$3.88 billion in October 2026**, up from $3.24 billion a year earlier, according to data the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) released on Friday, 6 November. The figures were reported by Business Recorder.

## October in numbers

- **Exports:** $2.93 billion, up 2.8% from $2.85 billion in October 2025.
- **Imports:** $6.81 billion, up nearly 12% from $6.09 billion a year ago.
- **Trade deficit:** $3.88 billion, up about 20% on the year and over 10% on September 2026, when it stood at $3.52 billion.

Month on month, imports rose while exports stayed flat, which is why the gap grew even before comparing with last year.

## Four months of FY27

For July to October (4MFY27) the deficit reached **$14.63 billion**, nearly 16% above the $12.61 billion of the same period last year. Imports for the four months rose over 12% to $25.96 billion, from $23.06 billion. Exports rose over 8% to $11.34 billion, from $10.45 billion.

So exports are growing, but imports are growing faster. Every extra dollar of imports that exports do not cover has to be financed from somewhere else.

## Why economists are watching it

Waqas Ghani, Head of Research at JS Global, told Business Recorder that higher imports may partly reflect domestic economic activity, but that the persistent gap between import and export growth adds to external financing requirements. He said a wider goods deficit could pressure the current account and foreign reserves, particularly if high global energy prices keep the import bill up, and that Pakistan's external stability will keep depending on remittances and services exports.

Business Recorder's report also points to the structure behind the numbers. Pakistan imports most of its fuel, machinery, chemicals and food, and petroleum products make up a large share of the bill. It notes a surge in car imports. On the export side, the basket is concentrated in rice, raw cotton, textiles and leather, and the report lists high energy tariffs, taxation, expensive financing and policy uncertainty as drags on competitiveness.

## What it means for a household

A bigger trade gap does not change prices on its own, but it feeds the things that do: demand for dollars, pressure on the rupee and the cost of imported fuel. Track the rupee on the [USD to PKR data page](/data/usd-pkr) and the fuel price on the [petrol price page](/data/petrol-price). If you send money home or pay for imported goods, the [currency converter](/tools/finance/currency-converter) shows what a dollar amount is worth in rupees at the latest rate on the site.

The next PBS release, covering November, is due in early December.

## Frequently asked questions

**What was Pakistan's trade deficit in October 2026?**

$3.88 billion, nearly 20% higher than the $3.24 billion of October 2025, according to PBS data reported by Business Recorder.

**What is the trade deficit for July to October 2026?**

$14.63 billion, up nearly 16% from $12.61 billion in the same four months last year.

## Sources

- Pakistan's trade deficit surges 20% YoY to $3.9bn in October 2026 (Business Recorder): https://www.brecorder.com/news/40447756/pakistans-trade-deficit-surges-20-yoy-to-39bn-in-october-2026

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