Food imports rise 8.12pc to $805.5m in July
• Higher edible oil purchases drive growth • Exports post modest increase after FY26 slump ISLAMABAD: The first month of the new fiscal year (FY27) saw an 8.12 per cent rise in food imports from a year earlier, driven mainly by higher purchases of edible oil. In contrast, exports of raw food items posted a modest increase of just over 2pc in July 2026, reversing the negative trend seen in the…
In July 2026, Pakistan witnessed an 8.12% increase in food imports, totaling $805.48 million, according to data from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS). This rise was primarily fueled by higher purchases of edible oil. Exports of raw food items, however, saw a modest 2.3% increase after a slump in the previous fiscal year. In 2026, Pakistan's food import bill surged by 11.66% to $9.15 billion, compared to $8.195 billion in the prior fiscal year.
Exports of raw food products plummeted by 29.49% to $5.017 billion, down from $7.116 billion in the previous year. The reversal in export trends was mainly attributed to a surge in rice exports in July 2026, with basmati rice exports rising by 37.37% and non-basmati rice exports increasing by 10.11%. Other contributing products to the export growth included fish, tobacco, oilseeds, and meat.
To support exporters facing weaker international demand, the Ministry of Commerce extended the subsidy scheme for rice exports by three months and raised the Duty Drawback of Local Taxes and Levies (DLTL) rate for non-basmati rice. Other food items, such as vegetables and fruits, experienced significant declines, with vegetable exports dropping by 19.13% and fruit exports falling by 33.69%.
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