Pakistan’s trade deficit with Gulf countries narrows in first month of FY2026-27

The gap between what Pakistan buys from and sells to the Gulf region narrowed in July, the opening month of FY2026-27, according to State Bank of Pakistan data cited by Dawn. Imports from the region fell 44.3 per cent to $879.98 million, while exports edged up 5.6 per cent to $271.60 million. The decline in imports came mainly from energy, as Pakistan bought far less petroleum and LNG from Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE.

Exports to the UAE climbed 9 per cent, and shipments to Saudi Arabia rose about 4.5 per cent, while imports from Saudi Arabia dropped more than 20 per cent. Imports from the UAE fell 36.4 per cent, largely because of lower petroleum and commodity arrivals. Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain recorded weaker exports, and imports from Kuwait and Qatar collapsed, while imports from Bahrain surged 118 per cent.

Trade with Jordan stayed relatively balanced, with exports up 13.7 per cent and imports up 4.2 per cent. For FY26 as a whole, exports to the region fell over 2 per cent to $3.093 billion, while imports shrank 4 per cent to $16.413 billion. The data indicate that the flow of imports depends heavily on geopolitical events, especially along energy routes.