Exports to Gulf plunge amid Iran conflict

ISLAMABAD:

Pakistan's exports to Gulf countries witnessed a significant decline during the US-Iran conflict, with shipments falling 32.3% between March and June 2026 compared with the corresponding period last year, according to official documents.

The country's exports to Gulf markets dropped to $663.7 million during March-June 2026 from $980.6 million recorded in the same period of 2025, reflecting a substantial contraction in trade amid regional tensions.

The documents also showed that the downward trend continued during July-October 2026, when Pakistan's exports to Gulf countries registered a 6.4% decline compared with the corresponding period last year. During the four-month period, exports fell from $1.889 billion to $1.0191 billion.

Among individual markets, according to the documents, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) recorded the steepest decline, with exports falling 42.7% between March and June 2026. Exports to Saudi Arabia declined by 1.7% during the same period, while shipments to Oman recorded a 25.1% contraction.