Pakistan's mobile phone imports fall 8.85% to $274m in July-August

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's mobile phone imports declined 8.85% to $274.129 million during the first two months of FY27, compared with $300.741 million in the same period last year, according to data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS). In rupee terms, handset imports fell 10.53% to Rs76.267 billion during July-August 2026 from Rs85.245 billion a year earlier. The decline continued in August, when mobile phone imports fell 13.82% YoY to $133.695 million from $155.129 million. On a monthly basis, handset imports declined 4.80% from $140.434 million in July. Telecom equipment imports, however, moved in the opposite direction over the two-month period, increasing 8.95% to $432.044 million from $395.536 million a year earlier. In rupee terms, telecom equipment imports rose 6.95% to Rs120.211 billion during July-August from Rs112.398 billion last year. The increase came amid continued investment in telecom infrastructure, including network expansion and preparations for the rollout of next-generation mobile services. Despite the two-month increase, telecom equipment imports declined in August on both yearly and monthly bases. Imports fell 3.42% YoY to $197.269 million from $204.263 million in August 2025. Compared with July, when imports stood at $234.775 million, the August figure was down 15.98%.