Trade gap with nine states widens 18pc

The country’s merchandise trade deficit with the nine regional countries widened by 17.92 per cent to $6.193 billion in the first nine months of the current fiscal year compared to $5.252bn in the same period last year. An increase in imports from China and India during the period under review drove the trade deficit. According to data compiled by the State Bank of Pakistan, exports to regional countries, particularly China, increased over the review period, but exports to other regional countries remained negative. In absolute terms, the value of Pakistan’s exports to the nine regional countries — Afghanistan, China, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, India, Iran, Nepal, Bhutan and the Maldives — rose 20.74pc to $3.313bn between July and March 2023-24 from $2.744bn over the corresponding months of last year.