ISLAMABAD: Pakis­tan’s merchandise exports posted a recovery in the first month of the current fiscal year, rising by 16.91 per cent — a sharp turnaround from the negative growth recorded in the previous month, according to data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statis­tics (PBS) on Wednesday.

The export proceeds had declined 0.59pc in June 2025, -10.07pc in May and -7.36pc in April. However, the recovery in export proceeds in the month of July shows that demand for Pakistan’s exports has witnessed an upward trend.

In absolute term, the export proceeds reached to $2.69 billion in July 2025 from $2.31bn in the same month last year. On a month-on-month basis, the export proceeds grew by 8.88pc in July.

For the 12 months of FY25, export proceeds stood at $32.106bn in July-June as against $30.675bn during the same period last year, reflecting a 4.67pc increase. The export growth fell to a single digit in October and eventually turned negative in February 5.57pc, April 7.36pc, and May 10.07pc.

Export growth seen in March, with a modest 3.08pc increase, but it fell back to negative growth in the subsequent months.

Global buyers have recently shifted clothing orders from Bangladesh and China to Pakistan, creating an opportunity for local exporters to capture greater market share.

Trade deficit

According to the PBS data, imports surged by 29.25pc to $5.45bn in July 2025, up from $4.22bn in the same month last year. On a month-on-month, imports increased 12.37pc in July 2025.

Published in Dawn, August 7th, 2025