Quarterly Trade Totals and Month-on-Month Trends
Pakistan accumulated $8.44bn in total goods exports and $19.21bn in imports during the first quarter of fiscal year 2026–27, covering the period from July to September 2026, according to official external trade data compiled by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. In local currency terms, exports amounted to PKR 2,344.98bn compared to PKR 2,149.57bn during the same period in the previous fiscal year, reflecting a 9.09% expansion in rupees and an 11.13% rise in dollar value. [1]
On the import side, cumulative purchases over July to September 2026 totaled PKR 5,342.56bn, compared with PKR 4,803.03bn in the corresponding period of FY2026, marking an increase of 11.23% in rupee terms and 13.20% in dollar terms from $16.97bn to $19.21bn. For the single month of September 2026, exports stood at $2.96bn (PKR 821.20bn), which was 16.92% higher in dollar value than August 2026 ($2.53bn) and 18.48% higher than September 2025 ($2.50bn). Imports during September 2026 rose to $6.49bn (PKR 1,802.99bn), reflecting an 11.48% monthly increase against August 2026 and an 11.02% increase against September 2025. [1] [2]
Export Composition Across Food, Textiles, and Petroleum
The Textile Group remained Pakistan’s leading export generator during Q1 FY2027, yielding $5.03bn (PKR 1,395.71bn) across the three-month span, up 5.26% from $4.78bn in Q1 FY2026. Within textiles, knitwear led with $1.48bn (71,089 thousand dozens), followed by readymade garments which generated $1.22bn on 24,190 thousand dozens (up 15.69% in dollar terms), and bedwear which delivered $852.29m. Cotton yarn exports also increased by 24.47% in value to $227.10m on 80,929 metric tons, while cotton cloth dropped 5.34% to $425.29m. [1]
The Food Group expanded significantly, advancing 25.31% in dollar value during Q1 FY2027 to reach $1.39bn (PKR 385.62bn) from $1.11bn in the comparative quarter. Rice remained the dominant contributor, generating $652.40m across 1,074,932 metric tons, a 55.89% year-on-year increase in dollar proceeds. Basmati rice brought in $276.28m on 247,033 metric tons, up 86.28% in dollar terms, while other rice varieties contributed $376.12m. Oil seeds, nuts, and kernels rose by 240.85% to reach $124.62m, and fish preparations brought in $102.69m. [1]
The Petroleum Group and Coal exports recorded a 90.91% increase during July–September 2026, totaling $207.08m (PKR 57.57bn) compared to $108.47m in Q1 FY2026. Petroleum products excluding top naphtha reached $187.79m on 344,769 metric tons, up 103.80% in dollar earnings. Meanwhile, the Other Manufactures Group yielded $1.11bn, supported by chemical and pharmaceutical products ($352.63m), leather manufactures ($181.12m), engineering goods ($118.66m), and sports goods ($91.35m). [1]
Import Groups: Petroleum, Machinery, and Industrial Inputs
Energy remained the single largest import category, with the Petroleum Group totaling $4.02bn (PKR 1,117.97bn) during the first quarter of FY2027, representing a 6.50% increase from $3.78bn in Q1 FY2026. Petroleum crude accounted for $1.76bn on 2,626,429 metric tons, rising 23.10% in dollar terms despite a 6.87% drop in physical volume. Refined petroleum products absorbed $1.56bn across 2,114,396 metric tons, up 11.58% in dollar outlay, whereas liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports fell 41.56% to $418.34m. [2]
Capital goods imports grew notably, with the Machinery Group recording $3.12bn (PKR 867.40bn) in Q1 FY2027, up 19.28% from $2.61bn a year earlier. Electrical machinery and apparatus represented the largest segment at $1.13bn, rising 45.68% year-on-year. Telecommunications equipment imports totaled $651.80m, including $417.24m for mobile phones, which fell 16.55% compared to Q1 FY2026. Imports of power generating machinery rose 8.36% to $180.33m, while construction and mining machinery more than doubled to $95.31m. [2]
Other major import sectors showed broad gains, including Agricultural and Other Chemicals at $2.85bn (up 6.59%), driven by $884.82m in plastic materials and $181.50m in manufactured fertilizers. The Metal Group climbed 23.95% to $1.95bn, with iron and steel imports totaling $785.59m and iron and steel scrap reaching $693.00m. The Transport Group rose 19.21% to $1.27bn, with road motor vehicles accounting for $1.14bn, including $763.89m in CKD/SKD kits and $224.01m in completely built units (CBU). [2]
Sources and reporting periods
- [1] Monthly Advance Releases on Foreign Trade Statistics for September 2026 — published 2026-10-15; reporting period: July–September 2026.
- [2] Statement Showing Imports of Selected Commodities During September 2026 — published 2026-10-15; reporting period: July–September 2026.