ISLAMABAD: Adviser to the Prime Minister on Commerce and Investment Abdul Razak Dawood addressing a press conference on Thursday. Tanveer Shahzad / White Star
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s merchandise trade deficit widened by 32.9 per cent, or $7.616 billion, in the outgoing fiscal year (FY21) from a year ago on the back of lower export proceeds and higher than expected imports, data shared by the Ministry of Commerce showed on Thursday.
The annual trade deficit reached $30.796bn in July-June FY21 from $23.180bn over the corresponding period of last year. This may pose some challenges for the government in controlling external accounts.
In rupee terms, the trade deficit was posted at 33.8pc on a year-on-year basis.