China leads Pakistan’s imports again with nearly 13 per cent rise

ISLAMABAD: China has maintained its position as Pakistan’s largest trading partner, leading the country’s import sources for February, according to the State Bank of Pakistan’s latest data. Pakistan’s imports from China saw a notable increase, surging by 12.9 per cent to $1.28 billion compared to $1.14 billion in the same period last year.

The UAE came in second place, with Pakistan importing goods worth $678.06 million. This marks a significant 86.4 per cent rise from $363.69 million recorded in February last year. Qatar followed, with imports rising 16.3 per cent to $302.93 million, up from $260.57 million a year ago.

Saudi Arabia ranked fourth on the list, contributing $296.62 million in imports, a modest 1.2 per cent increase from the same period last year.

Among other notable trading partners, Pakistan imported goods worth $246.01 million from Indonesia, reflecting a 27.6 per cent rise, while imports from Kuwait climbed by 13.2 per cent to $237.01 million. Imports from the US also rose sharply, with a 49.2 per cent increase to $232.77 million.

On a month-on-month basis, imports from China dipped by 6.2 per cent, while imports from the UAE surged by 22 per cent. However, imports from Qatar saw a monthly decline of 27 per cent.

Over the first eight months of FY25, China remained the top import source for Pakistan, recording a total of $10.19 billion, a significant increase from $8.09 billion in the same period of FY24.

The UAE followed with imports totalling $4.15 billion, marking a 32.6 per cent rise. Saudi Arabia ranked third, with cumulative imports totalling $2.47 billion, down from $3.08 billion in the corresponding period of the previous year.

Read next: Pakistan’s exports rise by 8.42 per cent in July-February period