Mobile phone imports fall 16.55% to $417.24 million in dollar terms, while telecom equipment and accessories imports surge 41.46% year-on-year.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan spent Rs116 billion on mobile phone imports during the first quarter of fiscal year 2026-27 (July–September), marking a significant decline from the corresponding period last year, according to data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).

In rupee terms, mobile phone imports fell by approximately 18% from Rs141.41 billion in the first quarter of FY2025-26.

The decline was also evident in dollar terms, with mobile phone imports dropping 16.55% to $417.24 million during July–September FY2026-27, compared with $500 million in the same period of the previous fiscal year.

However, imports of telecom equipment and accessories recorded a substantial increase, highlighting a contrasting trend within the country’s telecommunications import bill.

Telecom accessories imports rise 41.46%

Imports of telecom equipment and accessories surged 41.46% to $234.57 million in the first quarter of FY2026-27, up from $165.82 million in the corresponding quarter of the previous fiscal year.

Despite the sharp increase in accessory imports, Pakistan’s overall telecom import bill registered a modest decline.

Total telecom imports fell 2.11% to $651.80 million during July–September FY2026-27, compared with $665.83 million in the same period last year.

The figures indicate that the reduction in mobile phone imports was partly offset by higher spending on telecom equipment and accessories. Although the overall import bill declined year-on-year, the contrasting movement across the two categories reflects a shift in the composition of Pakistan’s telecommunications imports during the opening quarter of the current fiscal year.

The PBS figures cover the first three months of FY2026-27, from July to September 2026.