Pakistan’s pharmaceutical exports hit three-year low of USD319m in FY26
KARACHI: Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (PPMA) has reported that the country’s medicine exports hit a three-year low of USD319.01 million in the fiscal year ended June 30, 2026 (FY26), recording a sharp 30 percent year-on-year decline. The decline was largely attributed to a halt in the sale of locally manufactured medicines in Afghanistan markets following the closure of the…
Pakistan's pharmaceutical exports dropped to a three-year low of USD319 million in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026, a 30 percent decrease compared to the previous year, according to the Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (PPMA). The decline was primarily due to the cessation of sales of domestically produced medicines in Afghanistan after the closure of the border, which was previously a significant market accounting for 42 percent of the country's total drug exports valued at USD457.45 million in FY25.
PPMA's former chairman, Tauqeer Ul Haq, mentioned that uninterrupted exports to Afghanistan could have led to a 20-25 percent increase in pharmaceutical exports in FY26. Moreover, Haq pointed out that rising oil prices due to the US-Iran conflict led to increased transportation costs, disrupting the supply chain and making exports less competitive in low-margin markets.
He proposed that the Pakistani government should collaborate with the Afghan government to resume pharmaceutical exports, support exports to markets like Sri Lanka, CIS countries, Far East, Vietnam, and Cambodia, and establish an independent trade body, PharmaEx Pakistan, to facilitate smoother registration processes and inspections of manufacturing facilities.
Written by urgent.news from Business Recorder's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
