During the first nine months (July–March) of FY 2024–25, Pakistan experienced a 13.10% decline in mobile phone imports, amounting to $1.130 billion, a decrease from $1.301 billion in the same period the previous year. In terms of rupees, imports fell by 14.74%, totaling Rs314.93 billion compared to Rs369.38 billion during the corresponding timeframe in FY 2023–24.
On a month-to-month (MoM) basis, mobile phone imports slightly decreased by 0.43% in March 2025, reaching $131.30 million, down from $131.87 million in February. When looking at year-on-year (YoY) figures, March imports dropped by 14.21% from $153.04 million in March 2024.
Overall, telecom imports for the nine months reached $1.556 billion, marking a 4.10% decrease from $1.623 billion in the same period last fiscal year. However, there was a 10.19% increase in telecom imports MoM in March, totaling $191.75 million, with a YoY rise of 1.48%.
Local Manufacturing Outpaces Imports
These import patterns align with a notable increase in local mobile phone assembly. According to the PTA, Pakistan assembled 7.21 million mobile phones in Q1 2025, significantly surpassing commercial imports of just 0.54 million units. In March alone, local production reached 2.33 million devices, while imports were limited to 0.17 million units.
This trend towards local manufacturing may indicate the positive effects of government initiatives aimed at fostering domestic production and technological independence. Although challenges persist, particularly in the production of high-end smartphones, the steady growth in local assembly bodes well for Pakistan’s goal of enhancing its mobile manufacturing sector.
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