That dollar amount reflects a 45.9% upturn compared to $22.2 billion five years earlier in 2020.
From 2023 to 2024, the total value of Pakistani exports accelerated by 12.1% starting from $29 billion.
Based on the average exchange rate for 2024 on a Purchasing Power Parity basis, the Pakistani rupee grew by 0.2% against the US dollar from 2023 to 2024. Pakistan’s slightly stronger local currency makes Pakistani exports paid for in weaker US dollars modestly more expensive for international buyers.
Pakistan’s Best Exports Customers
The latest available country-specific data shows that about two-thirds (66.4%) of products exported from Pakistan was bought by importers in: United States of America (17.3% of the Pakistani total), mainland China (7.3%), United Kingdom (6.6%), United Arab Emirates (5.4%), Germany (5.3%), Netherlands (4.9%), Afghanistan (4.7%), Spain (4.5%), Italy (3.5%), Bangladesh (2.4%), Saudi Arabia (2.3%) and Belgium (2.1%).
From a continental perspective, 36.2% of Pakistan’s exports by value was delivered to Asian countries while 34.8% was sold to importers in Europe. Pakistan shipped another 19% worth of goods to buyers in North America.
Smaller percentages went to customers located in Africa (7.4%), Latin America (1.6%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, then Oceania (1.1%) led by Australia and New Zealand.
Given Pakistan’s population of 236 million people, its total $32.5 billion in 2024 exports translates to $140 for every resident in the densely populated South Asian nation. That dollar metric outpaces the average $125 per capita in 2023.
Pakistan’s Top 10 Exports
The following export product groups categorize the highest dollar value in Pakistani global shipments during 2024. Also shown is the percentage share each export category represents in terms of overall exports from Pakistan.
- Miscellaneous textiles, worn clothing: US$5.5 billion (17% of total exports)
- Knit or crochet clothing, accessories: $4.8 billion (14.7%)
- Cereals: $4.5 billion (13.8%)
- Clothing, accessories (not knit or crochet): $3.9 billion (12.1%)
- Cotton: $2.7 billion (8.3%)
- Copper: $842.4 million (2.6%)
- Leather/animal gut articles: $659.5 million (2%)
- Mineral fuels including oil: $559.1 million (1.7%)
- Sugar, sugar confectionery: $549.1 million (1.7%)
- Salt, sulphur, stone, cement: $537.8 million (1.7%)
Pakistan’s top 10 export product categories generated just over three-quarters (75.6%) of the overall value of Pakistani global shipments.
Mineral fuels including oil was the fastest grower among the top 10 export categories, up by 227.8% from 2023 to 2024.
In second place for improving export sales was sugar including sugar confectionery via a 75.1% advance.
Pakistan’s shipments of cereals posted the third-fastest gain in value, up by 39%.
The leading decliner among Pakistan’s top 10 export categories was cotton, recording a -12.8% year-over-year drop.
Note that the results listed above are at the categorized two-digit Harmonized Tariff System (HTS) code level.
For a more granular view of exported goods at the four-digit HTS code level, see the section below.
Searchable List of Pakistan’s Most Valuable Export Products in 2024
At the more granular four-digit HTS code level, the following searchable table displays 100 of the most in-demand goods shipped from Pakistan during 2024. Shown beside each product label is its total export value then the percentage increase or decrease since 2023.
These 100 top exported goods were worth a subtotal of US$29.9 billion or 92.1% by value for all products exported from Pakistan during 2024.
Products Generating Trade Surpluses for Pakistan
The following types of Pakistani product shipments represent positive net exports or a trade balance surplus. Investopedia defines net exports as the value of a country’s total exports minus the value of its total imports.
In a nutshell, net exports represent the amount by which foreign spending on a home country’s goods or services exceeds or lags the home country’s spending on foreign goods or services.
- Miscellaneous textiles, worn clothing: US$5 billion (Up by 9.2% since 2023)
- Knit or crochet clothing, accessories: $4.7 billion (Up by 13.2%)
- Clothing, accessories (not knit or crochet): $3.9 billion (Up by 17.7%)
- Cereals: $3.7 billion (Up by 63.7%)
- Cotton: $1.8 billion (Down by -15.2%)
- Leather/animal gut articles: $642.7 million (Up by 3%)
- Copper: $591.4 million (Down by -5.7%)
- Meat: $515.9 million (Up by 7.9%)
- Sugar, sugar confectionery: $507.7 million (Up by 92.6%)
- Fish: $404.3 million (Down by -12.5%)
Pakistan has highly positive net exports in the international trade of clothing-related products. In turn, these cashflows indicate Pakistan’s strong competitive advantages under various clothing-related categories.
Products Causing Trade Deficits for Pakistan
Overall Pakistan recorded an estimated -US$24.1 billion trade deficit during 2024. That dollar amount results from a 12.4% expansion from -$21.4 billion in red ink one year earlier in 2023.
Below are exports from Pakistan that result in negative net exports or product trade balance deficits. These negative net exports reveal product categories where foreign spending on home country Pakistan’s goods trail Pakistani importer spending on foreign products.
- Mineral fuels including oil: -US$17.2 billion (Up by 3.5% since 2023)
- Electrical machinery, equipment: -$6.2 billion (Up by 76.1%)
- Animal/vegetable fats, oils, waxes: -$3.2 billion (Down by -3.3%)
- Iron, steel: -$3 billion (Up by 12.2%)
- Machinery including computers: -$2.7 billion (Up by 9.5%)
- Organic chemicals: -$2.5 billion (Up by 3.4%)
- Plastics, plastic articles: -$1.9 billion (Up by 1.4%)
- Vehicles: -$1.6 billion (Up by 39.9%)
- Fertilizers: -$825.8 million (Up by 76.8%)
- Other chemical goods: -$774.2 million (Down by -7.4%)
Pakistan has highly negative net exports and therefore deep international trade deficits for mineral fuels including oil. Notably red ink flowed for Pakistani trade for crude or refined petroleum oils and gas.
Pakistan’s Major Export Companies
Based on Forbes Global 2000 rankings, the following are examples of world-class Pakistani companies.
- Oil & Gas Development (petroleum operations)
- Pakistan State Oil (petroleum operations)
Wikipedia also lists businesses headquartered in Pakistan that export their products. Selected examples are shown below.
- Dalda (vegetable oil)
- Engro Corporation (fertilizers, petrochemicals)
- Ghani Automobile Industries (motorcycles)
- Ittefaq Group (steel)
- Ittehad Chemicals Limited (chemicals)
- Khaadi (hand-woven clothing)
- Madina Sugar Mills (PVT) Limited (sugar)
- Master Motors (truck manufacturer)
- Murree Brewery (beverages)
- Servis Tyres (tire maker)
In macroeconomic terms, Pakistan’s total exported goods represent 2% of its overall Gross Domestic Product for 2024 ($1.587 trillion valued in Purchasing Power Parity US dollars). That 2% for exports to overall GDP per PPP in 2024 compares to 1.8% for 2023. Those percentages suggest a relatively increasing reliance on products sold on international markets for Pakistan’s total economic performance, albeit based on a relatively short timeframe.
Another key indicator of a country’s economic performance is its unemployment rate. Pakistan’s unemployment rate averaged 8.25% for 2024 down from an average 8.5% in 2023, according to the International Monetary Fund metrics.
See also Pakistan’s Top Trading Partners, Pakistan’s Top 10 Imports and Top Asian Export Countries
Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Country Profiles. Accessed on April 22, 2025
Forbes Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on April 22, 2025
International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Database (GDP based on Purchasing Power Parity). Accessed on April 22, 2025
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on April 22, 2025
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on April 22, 2025
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Purchasing power parities (PPP). Accessed on April 22, 2025
Richest Country Reports, Key Statistics Powering Global Wealth. Accessed on April 22, 2025
Wikipedia, Gross domestic product. Accessed on April 22, 2025
Wikipedia, List of Companies of Pakistan. Accessed on April 22, 2025
Wikipedia, Purchasing power parity. Accessed on April 22, 2025
Wikipedia, Pakistan. Accessed on April 22, 2025
X-rates.com, Exchange Rates: Pakistani Rupee to US Dollar (monthly average 2024). Accessed on April 22, 2025