Pakistan's mineral exports could rise from $3 billion to $8 billion, with Reko Diq copper due by 2028

Pakistan's mineral exports could grow from about $3 billion to $8 billion a year with better policy, infrastructure and investment, ProPakistani reported on Friday. In rupees, at today's rate on our dollar to rupee page, that is a jump from roughly Rs 830 billion to Rs 2.2 trillion.

The numbers behind the target

• 92 minerals have been discovered in Pakistan, and 52 are mined commercially, according to available estimates.
• Total reserves are put at about $8 trillion.
• Even so, mining contributes less than 3% of GDP.

The gap between what is in the ground and what is sold abroad is the whole argument for the $8 billion figure: most of the value is either not mined yet or exported raw.

Reko Diq is the big one

Reko Diq in Chagai, Balochistan, is Pakistan's largest foreign investment project. First-phase production is expected by the end of 2028, and once running it should produce about 240,000 tonnes of copper and 297,000 ounces of gold a year.

To put the gold figure in local terms: 297,000 troy ounces is about 9,240 kilograms, or close to 792,000 tola. At the current sarafa rate on our 24k gold page, that is worth more than Rs 340 billion a year at today's prices. Our gold converter does the tola, gram and ounce sums for any amount.

What comes next

• US Strategic Metals, a US company, has signed agreements with Pakistan to develop critical minerals.
• The Pakistan Minerals Investment Forum 2026 is set for 12 and 13 November at the Jinnah Convention Centre, Islamabad.
• This week Pakistan and Turkey also signed a deal to explore antimony, gold and copper in Pishin, Balochistan (our story).

What it means for you

Mining revenue goes first to the federal and Balochistan governments through royalties and taxes, so the household effect is indirect: more dollars coming in eases pressure on the rupee and the import bill. Whether $8 billion is reached depends on projects like Reko Diq arriving on schedule, which is still two years away.