By Moaaz Manzoor
Pakistan’s October 2025 trade numbers showed a mixed picture, with exports climbing steadily while imports were rising even faster. The provisional data from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) highlights how the country’s external trade continues to fluctuate.
Pakistan October 2025 Trade Numbers: Exports on the Rise
Exports in October 2025 reached Rs. 800,841 million, up 13.79 percent from September’s Rs. 703,779 million.
However, exports were slightly lower than the Rs. 828,052 million recorded in October 2024, reflecting a 3.29 percent year-on-year decline. In U.S. dollars, exports totaled $2,849 million, up 14.01 percent from September but down 4.46 percent from $2,982 million in October 2024.
Cumulative Export Performance July–October 2025
Looking at the first four months of the fiscal year, July–October 2025, cumulative exports reached Rs. 2,950,407 million, slightly below last year’s Rs. 3,028,942 million, a decline of 2.59 percent.
In dollar terms, exports totaled $10,447 million compared with $10,888 million previously, showing a 4.05 percent decrease.
Key Export Items for October 2025
Key export items for October 2025 included knitwear (Rs. 135,262 million), readymade garments (Rs. 104,249 million), bedwear (Rs. 81,814 million), petroleum products excluding top naphtha (Rs. 59,650 million), and cotton cloth (Rs. 40,347 million).
Other notable exports were rice (others) at Rs. 30,537 million, towels at Rs. 25,408 million, made-up articles excluding towels and bedwear at Rs. 19,100 million, cotton yarn at Rs. 15,876 million, and basmati rice at Rs. 15,195 million.
Fluctuations in Major Export Categories
PBS data showed big swings among export categories. Petroleum products excluding top naphtha surged 507.44 percent from September 2025 and 597.91 percent compared with October 2024.
Rice (others) rose 71.42 percent month-on-month, and basmati rice grew 31.29 percent. On the other hand, cotton yarn fell 10.86 percent from September, while cotton cloth dropped 4.53 percent. Compared to last year, rice (others) fell 62.55 percent and basmati rice dropped 20.29 percent.
Import Trends for October 2025
Meanwhile, imports in October 2025 reached Rs. 1,726,145 million, up 4.69 percent from September’s Rs. 1,648,853 million and 23.33 percent from Rs. 1,399,579 million in October 2024.
Dollar-denominated imports stood at $6,131 million, up 4.84 percent month-on-month and 21.65 percent year-on-year.
Top Imported Items in October 2025
Top imported items in October included petroleum crude (Rs. 152,957 million), petroleum products (Rs. 152,860 million), palm oil (Rs. 91,253 million), and iron and steel (Rs. 69,923 million). Electrical machinery and apparatus (Rs. 69,572 million), plastic materials (Rs. 64,131 million), LNG (Rs. 58,820 million), iron and steel scrap (Rs. 54,502 million), motor cars (CKD/SKD) (Rs. 48,156 million), and mobile phones (Rs. 40,710 million) also contributed significantly.
October 2025 Trade Balance: Rising Deficit
The trade balance for October 2025 showed a deficit of Rs. -925,304 million, or $-3,282 million.
For the four-month period from July to October 2025, the cumulative trade deficit reached Rs. -3,578,767 million and $-12,658 million, highlighting the growing gap between Pakistan’s imports and exports.
Author Profile
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Moaaz Manzoor is a business correspondent who meticulously tracks Pakistan’s crucial but neglected natural resource industries.
He specializes in exposing inefficiencies and charting the course of modernization, highlighting how efforts to mechanize mining have dramatically cut marble and granite wastage, driving a recovery and attracting vital investment.
