Pakistan's textile exports rose a modest 2.77 percent to $1.566 billion in August 2026 from $1.524 billion a year earlier, as weaker shipments of bedwear, towels and cotton cloth tempered gains in garments, knitwear and cotton yarn, official data showed Friday. The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics said garments exports year-on-year increased by 11.86 percent in August to $367 million, knitwear up by 5.63pc to $470.7 million and cotton yarn by 49.1 percent to $94.15 million.
However, cotton cloth exports down by 14.5pc to $134.7 million, bedwear down by 5.24 per cent and towels shipments declined 0.55 per cent to $84.8 million. Food exports were also up 13.9pc to $396 million. Rice, one of the country's top foreign exchange earners, was up 31pc to $191.8 million, where basmati was up 70pc to $87.6 million and other rice verities increased by 9.85pc to $104.2 million.
Fish and seafood exports up 5.9pc to $25.25 million, meat increased by 29.6pc to $47.2 million, and oilseeds, nuts and kernals by 427pc to $36 million. However, vegetable exports fell sharply, down 37pc to $8.4 million and fruits shipments declined 41.4pc to $18.5 million in August. Sports goods exports declined 24.1pc to $27.6 million, with 42pc decline in football shipments that stood at $13.35 million.
Surgical instruments increased 8.96pc to $39.5 million, while cement exports declined by 20.4pc to $301 million. Chemical and pharmaceutical exports were down 5.35pc to $103.2 million. Plastic materials exports dip 17.5pc to $27.6 million and there was a 39 percent decline in pharmaceutical goods exports to $19.1 million.
Imports also expanded, with petroleum group imports increased 21.6 per cent. of this group, petroleum products import up 32.5pc to $478.2 million, crude oil 45.6pc to $723.3 million, and LPG imports increased by 16.24pc to $85.1 million. However, imports of LNG declined by 33.4pc to $187.45 million.
Machinery group imports increased 12.24 per cent to $889.4 million in August 2026 against $779 million in August 2025. In this group, electrical machinery imports were up by 35.7pc to $308.8 million, while a 5.1pc dip in power generation equipment to $48.5 million. Imports of construction and mining machinery increased by 77.7pc to $30.7 million, while agricultural machinery down 27.6pc to $11 million.
Similarly, telecom machinery imports were down 5.02pc to $197.3 million, with mobile phone imports down 15.24pc to $133.7 million. Besides, the office machinery, including data processing equipment imports increased 32pc to $58.8 million. While textile machinery imports were down by 46.4pc to $28.4 million.
Food group imports declined 5.4 per cent to $698 million, with tea imports increased 16.6pc to $65.2 million, spices 10.6pc to $18.3 million and infant milk by 11.4pc to $10.7 million. However, palm oil imports down by 20.7pc to $272 million and pulses declined 57.4pc to $31.87 million. Transport sector imports up 7.1pc to $345.7 million.
Under the complete knockdown/ semi-knockdown (CKD/SKD) motor vehicle category, imports down by 5.8pc to $291 million. The import of complete built units of cars down by 8.5pc to $24.1 million, while the CKD/SKD cars imports were reduced 3.13pc to $168.3 million. During the month, 262.4 percent more was spent on import of aircrafts, ships and boats with total spending of $30.35 million.
On parts and accessories, $36.3 million were spent which is 29.8pc more than a year ago.