Pakistan Exports Jump 18% in September as Q1 FY27 Growth Hits 11%

Pakistan exports surged 18% in September as agriculture exports jumped a record 62%, official PBS data shows.

The numbers mark a strong start to the financial year.

Fresh data from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics shows goods exports rising across almost every major sector. Growth is no longer limited to textiles alone.

Adviser to the Finance Minister Khurram Schehzad shared the figures in an October 5 statement. He called it an encouraging sign for export-led growth.

Pakistan Exports Post Strongest Monthly Gain in Recent Memory

September was a standout month.

Goods exports reached $2.94 billion. That is up 17.6% from $2.50 billion in September last year.

The monthly momentum was just as impressive. Exports rose 16.1% compared to August 2026, when shipments stood at $2.53 billion.

This was not a one-month fluke.

For the full first quarter of FY27, covering July to September 2026, exports totalled $8.42 billion. That represents growth of 10.8% over the same period last year.

In dollar terms, Pakistan shipped nearly $825 million more goods in these three months than a year earlier.

Importantly, export growth outpaced import growth in September. That happened both year-on-year and month-on-month.

It is a welcome sign of strengthening export momentum.

As WE News reported, officials see the data as proof that the economy is moving toward sustainable, export-driven growth.

Agriculture Leads as Growth Spreads Beyond Textiles

The most striking story is agriculture.

Agri and food exports surged 62% year-on-year in September. That is a record annual jump for the sector.

Over the full quarter, agriculture and food exports were up 23% compared to last year.

Rice, fruits, vegetables and processed food all contributed. Global demand stayed firm, and Pakistani exporters cashed in.

Manufacturing told a similar story.

Manufacturing, mining and energy exports grew 17% over the quarter. In September alone, manufacturing exports jumped 35% month-on-month.

This matters because Pakistan has long depended on textiles. Diversification has been a goal for years.

Now it is actually happening.

Textiles and apparel still grew, but at a more modest 6% over the quarter. The real action was elsewhere.

Mining, energy and IT services are finding new buyers abroad. That broad base makes the growth more durable.

Schehzad's statement highlighted this shift. He pointed to growth extending well beyond the traditional textile base.

The Trade Deficit Challenge Behind the Headlines

The export story has a flip side.

Imports grew faster than exports in absolute terms. That pushed the trade deficit wider.

For Q1 FY27, the trade deficit widened 15.1% to $10.79 billion. Last year it stood at $9.37 billion.

Imports reached $19.22 billion in the quarter, up 13.2% year-on-year. Exports added about $824 million. Imports added roughly $2.2 billion.

September's monthly deficit stood at $3.56 billion. That is up 6.2% from the same month last year.

So while exporters celebrated, the overall trade gap kept growing.

Economists say this is the real test. Can export growth outrun the country's appetite for imports?

The PBS data is also provisional. The bureau may revise the figures once full customs data arrives.

Still, the direction is positive. As Dawn reported, September's 17.6% export jump suggests a genuine revival of the export sector.

Context matters too.

In FY26, Pakistan's merchandise exports contracted 5.97% to $32.04 billion. The country missed its annual export target by nearly $5 billion.

The planning ministry has set ambitious goals. It wants exports to reach $60 billion by 2030, and $100 billion by 2035.

Q1 FY27 is a small but real step in that direction.

What Exporters Want Next From Policymakers

Exporters are not popping champagne just yet.

Jawed Bilwani of the All Pakistan Exporters Association Forum says the sector is struggling for survival. High manufacturing costs top his list of worries.

Pakistani exporters face higher taxes than many regional competitors. They operate on thin margins.

Refund delays make things worse. Exporters wait months for sales tax refunds, squeezing their cash flow.

Arbitrary deductions by tax authorities add to the pain. Liquidity pressure is crippling smaller firms.

The government knows the complaints.

Officials say the impact of recent budgetary measures will become clearer in the coming months. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has publicly expressed displeasure with exporters' past performance.

The message from Islamabad is blunt. The state will support exporters, but it expects results.

For now, the September numbers give both sides something to work with.

Exporters have shown they can grow. Double-digit quarterly gains and nearly 18% in a single month prove that much.

The harder question sits on the other side of the ledger. Sustaining this pace, quarter after quarter, is the real challenge.

If agriculture keeps surging and manufacturing holds its momentum, FY27 could mark a genuine turning point.

Frequently Asked Questions

By how much did Pakistan's exports grow in September 2026?

Pakistan's goods exports rose 17.6% year-on-year in September 2026 to $2.94 billion, up from $2.50 billion a year earlier. On a month-on-month basis, exports grew 16.1% from $2.53 billion in August 2026. The figures come from provisional data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.

What drove the export growth in September?

Agriculture and food exports led the way with a record 62% year-on-year surge in September. Manufacturing exports jumped 35% compared to August. Growth spread beyond the traditional textile base into mining, energy and IT services, making the expansion unusually broad-based.

How did exports perform in the first quarter of FY27?

Exports grew 10.8% year-on-year during July to September 2026, reaching $8.42 billion against $7.60 billion last year. Agriculture and food exports rose 23% over the quarter, while manufacturing, mining and energy exports gained 17%. Textiles and apparel posted modest growth of 6%.

Did Pakistan's trade deficit improve?

No. The trade deficit widened 15.1% to $10.79 billion in Q1 FY27 as imports grew 13.2% to $19.22 billion. September's monthly deficit stood at $3.56 billion, up 6.2% year-on-year. Import growth in absolute dollar terms was nearly three times the export gains.

What is the government saying about the export figures?

Adviser to the Finance Minister Khurram Schehzad said in an October 5 statement that double-digit export growth marks an encouraging start to the year. He said it supports Pakistan's broader objective of moving toward export-led, sustainable growth. The planning ministry has set export targets of $60 billion by 2030 and $100 billion by 2035.