Pakistan exports up 17.6% to $2.94 billion in September, trade deficit at $3.56 billion

Pakistan exports rose 17.6% year on year to $2.94 billion in September 2026, up from $2.50 billion a year earlier, according to trade figures released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) on 3 October. Imports grew more slowly, by 11.1% to $6.49 billion, but the gap between the two still left a monthly trade deficit of $3.56 billion, 6.2% wider than in September 2025.

At today's interbank rate of about Rs 277 to the dollar (see /data/usd-pkr), September's exports were worth roughly Rs 815 billion, while the import bill came to about Rs 1.8 trillion.

Pakistan exports: the September numbers

Compared with August 2026, exports jumped by about $410 million (16%), the strongest month so far this fiscal year, as reported by ProPakistani, which quoted Khurram Shehzad, adviser to the finance minister. The deficit also rose from $3.29 billion in August, because imports grew too.

First quarter (July to September)

• Exports: $8.42 billion, up 10.8%
• Imports: $19.2 billion, up 13.2%
• Trade deficit: $10.8 billion, up 15.3% from $9.37 billion

By sector, Shehzad's breakdown puts agriculture and food exports up 23% in the quarter (with rice a big part of it, see our report on basmati exports), manufacturing, mining and energy up 17%, and textiles and apparel up 6%.

What it means for you

The rupee. Exports bring in dollars and imports spend them. A $3.56 billion monthly gap has to be covered by remittances, loans and investment, which is why the dollar rate matters to anyone paying school fees abroad, importing goods or buying a phone. The rupee has been steady near Rs 277; track it daily on the dollar rate page or convert amounts with the currency converter.

Jobs and wages. Faster growth in food and manufacturing exports means more orders for mills, rice processors and factories in Punjab and Sindh, where most export jobs are.

Prices. Imports rising 13% in a quarter, much of it fuel and machinery, keeps pressure on the import bill. Petrol is at Rs 392.76 a litre on PSO's ex-depot Karachi price (/data/petrol-price).

Services trade

Services are reported a month later. In August 2026, services exports (IT, freelancing, transport) rose 29% to $873 million, against imports of $1.156 billion, narrowing the services deficit by 37.2% to $282.7 million, according to The News. Freelancers can work out their tax on foreign earnings with our freelancer tax calculator.

What to watch

PBS publishes the detailed commodity breakdown (textile groups, rice, IT services) later in the month, and the State Bank releases the current account for September around the third week of October.