Pakistan’s trade deficit widened sharply in April 2026, hitting a 46-month high as rising imports outpaced export growth, according to data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics on Tuesday.
The deficit crossed the $4 billion mark during the month, reflecting continued pressure on the external account amid stronger import demand.
The trade gap stood at $4.07 billion during the month, reflecting an increase of nearly 4% compared to $3.92 billion recorded in April last year.
Exports showed a strong uptick, climbing 14% year-on-year to $2.48 billion, up from $2.17 billion in April 2025.
However, imports also rose significantly, reaching $6.55 billion in April 2026, up 7.5% from $6.1 billion in the same period a year earlier.
On a month-on-month basis, the deficit widened sharply by 43.5% from $2.84 billion in March 2026.
This surge was largely driven by a more than 28% jump in imports, while exports recorded a comparatively modest increase of 9.5%.
