Islamabad( The COW News Digital)Pakistan and the United States recorded a significant 16 percent growth in bilateral trade during the fiscal year 2024–25, with the total volume reaching $7.598 billion, according to official trade data obtained by Express News.
Exports from Pakistan to the US rose 10 percent compared to the previous year, totaling $5.836 billion. The surge was largely driven by the textile and apparel sector, which remains the backbone of Pakistan’s export economy.
Key contributors included:
- Bed sheets, tablecloths, and kitchen linen worth $1.038 billion.
- Men’s suits, jackets, and trousers valued at $936 million.
- Other ready-made garments at $386 million.
- T-shirts totaling $361 million.
- Jerseys, pullovers, and cardigans worth $312 million.
- Hosiery exports reaching $278 million.
- Knitted men’s shirts valued at $244 million.
In addition, leather goods contributed $165 million, while women’s suits, jackets, and dresses brought in $157 million.
On the other hand, Pakistan’s imports from the US grew by a striking 40 percent, totaling $1.763 billion. The rise was fueled by increased demand for raw materials and industrial inputs.
Major imports included:
- Raw cotton worth $393 million.
- Iron and steel scrap at $159 million.
- Soybeans valued at $137 million.
- Coal totaling $56 million.
- Chemical wood pulp at $50 million.
- Turbojets and gas turbines worth $50 million.
- Automatic data processing machines totaling $40 million.
- Petroleum oils (excluding crude) valued at $38 million.
- Medical instruments at $36 million.
- Edible nuts worth $33 million.
Trade experts note that the figures highlight a growing dependency on US raw materials to fuel Pakistan’s textile and industrial sectors, while Pakistan continues to rely heavily on textile exports for foreign exchange earnings.
Analysts suggest that diversification beyond textiles and garments is essential for Pakistan to strengthen trade resilience and capture new markets within the United States.
The overall increase, however, signals a positive trajectory in Pakistan–US economic relations, with policymakers hopeful that the upward trend will continue amid ongoing talks on trade facilitation and investment.
