ISLAMABAD, Dec 16: Pakistan’s trade deficit rose by 146 per cent in the first five months (July-November) of the current fiscal year against the same period of 2004-05. Official figures, released here on Thursday, by the Federal Bureau of Statistics (FBS), showed that the trade deficit stood at $4.554 billion in the first five months of the current financial year against $1.852 billion during the corresponding period of fiscal 2004-05.

The import bill touched $ 11.180 billion in the first five months of the year compared to exports worth $6.626 billion raising the trade deficit to $4.554 billion. In the first five months of the last fiscal year, the country had made imports amounting to $7.243 billion compared to exports of $5.391 billion creating a trade deficit of $ 1.852 billion.

On monthly basis, the trade deficit soared by about 108 per cent in November this year, and stood at $1.179 billion against $0.567 billion in November last year.

A further break-up of imports and exports showed that Pakistan exported goods worth $1.120 billion during November this year compared to its $2.299 billion of imports, which resulted in a trade deficit of $1.179 billion in the month.

While exports registered a monthly growth of 23.25 per cent in November this year, the imports also increased, almost, by 51 per cent.

The exports decreased by about 16 per cent in November this year compared to October this year. However, imports witnessed a marginal decrease of 1.2 per cent in the corresponding period.