Pakistan, July 23 -- Pakistan's trade deficit with its nine neighboring countries rose sharply by 29.42% in the fiscal year 2024-25. The deficit reached $12.297 billion, up from $9.502 billion in the previous year. This increase came despite a notable rise in exports to Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. However, rising imports-especially from China, India, and Bangladesh-have widened the overall trade gap.

According to the report, exports to these countries grew only 1.49% to reach $4.401 billion. In contrast, imports surged 20.66%, climbing from $13.838 billion to $16.698 billion. The bulk of this increase came from China, where imports alone grew by 20.79%, reaching $16.312 billion. China remains Pakistan's largest import source ...