By Qudsia Bano
Pakistan’s import bill 2025 jumped sharply in the first four months of the current fiscal year. From July to October 2025, the country spent 6,529,174 million rupees on imports, up from 5,569,160 million rupees during the same period last year, according to new data from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.
In U.S. dollars, imports rose to 23,104,559 thousand dollars from 20,002,635 thousand dollars, marking a 15.51 percent increase.
Pakistan Import Bill 2025: Food Imports Lead the Rise
Food imports saw a significant rise, reaching 869,087 million rupees, compared with 651,198 million rupees a year ago. Milk, cream, and infant milk products jumped from 11,859 metric tons to 15,834 metric tons, with the import bill rising to 13,776 million rupees.
Dry fruits and nuts also gained value, totaling 15,582 million rupees on 58,209 metric tons. Soyabean oil imports climbed slightly to 60,809 metric tons, costing 18,716 million rupees. Palm oil remained a top food import, with shipments reaching 1,250,138 metric tons and costing 374,408 million rupees. Pulses also increased, totaling 391,377 metric tons and 72,231 million rupees.
Machinery Imports Show Strong Growth
Machinery imports rose to 998,708 million rupees from 808,595 million rupees last year. Power generating machinery imports reached 73,376 million rupees, while office machinery stood at 68,728 million rupees. Electrical machinery imports were slightly lower than last year at 290,016 million rupees.
Transport Imports Surge Dramatically
Transport imports jumped to 386,041 million rupees from 180,459 million rupees.
Road motor vehicles alone accounted for 358,524 million rupees, with motor cars surging to 177,420 million rupees from 78,438 million rupees. Imports of aircraft, ships, and boats also increased sharply to 19,523 million rupees.
Petroleum Sector Remains a Major Contributor
Petroleum product imports rose to 1,455,466 million rupees from 1,423,233 million rupees. Crude petroleum alone reached 557,064 million rupees, equivalent to 1,971,507 thousand dollars.
Textiles, Chemicals, and Metals Also See Gains
Textile imports reached 652,366 million rupees, with raw cotton climbing to 149,697 million rupees from 123,647 million rupees. Synthetic fibers and artificial silk yarn also saw notable gains.
Agricultural and chemical imports increased to 1,033,330 million rupees from 938,861 million rupees. Fertilizer imports were at 95,504 million rupees, while plastic materials surged to 834,292 million rupees.
Metal imports grew to 613,270 million rupees from 516,021 million rupees. Iron and steel scrap rose to 192,080 million rupees, and aluminum imports increased to 26,746 million rupees.
Miscellaneous imports totaled 119,541 million rupees, including rubber, tires, and wood products. Imports under “all other items” reached 400,864 million rupees compared with 369,578 million rupees last year.
Overall, Pakistan’s import trend from July to October 2025 showed broad-based growth across nearly all major groups, with energy, machinery, food products, and transport equipment leading the rise.
Author Profile
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Qudsia Bano is a financial correspondent focused on Pakistan's fiscal health.
Her reporting, driven by SBP data, tracks the country's vital foreign exchange reserves. Bano’s work highlights the central bank's success in stabilizing reserves near the $19-20 billion range, underscoring its crucial effort to maintain exchange rate stability.
