Mubarak Zeb Khan
May 5, 2026
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s merchandise exports showed signs of recovery in April after two consecutive months of decline, but the trade deficit remained elevated due to a surge in imports and relatively slower growth in export proceeds.
The rebound in April exports offered some relief. However, it was not sufficient to offset the widening gap caused by higher import payments, the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) said on Monday.
Trade analysts say the persistent rise in imports, driven by demand for energy and industrial inputs, continues to outpace export earnings, keeping pressure on the external account.
In April, exports grew 14.03pc to $2.48 billion, compared with $2.17bn in the corresponding month last year. On a month-on-month basis, export proceeds increased by 9.5pc.
Trade deficit widens to $31.98bn in 10MFY26
Negative export growth has persisted since August of the current fiscal year, except in July, when exports grew by 16.43pc year on year. Export earnings have posted negative growth, with proceeds declining by 20.41pc in December.
This follows a 14.54pc drop in November, 4.46pc in October, 3.88pc in September, and 12.49pc in August, reflecting persistent pressures on the country’s external trade performance.
However, exports rose 3.3pc in January but contracted 8.76pc in
February and 14.4pc in March.
In the 10 months (July-April), export proceeds recorded negative growth of 6.25pc, falling to $25.21bn from $26.89bn in the corresponding period last year.