Medicine exports fall 30pc to three-year low

LAHORE: Pakistan’s medicine exports fell 30 per cent during the 2026 fiscal year to a three-year low.

The Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (PPMA) said the main causes of the decline were the halt in supplies of medicines to the Afghan market due to the Pakistan-Afghanistan border closure, and the rise in oil prices.

According to PPMA former chairman Touqir ul Haq, medicine exports in the fiscal year ending on 30 June 2026 stood at $319.001 million. In fiscal year 2025, medicine exports had recorded a 34 per cent increase, the highest rate in two decades.

Because of the border closure between Pakistan and Afghanistan since October 2025, the country’s total medicine exports fell by about 30 per cent in fiscal year 2026. Afghanistan has been one of the biggest markets for Pakistani medicines.

In fiscal year 2025, Afghanistan accounted for 42 per cent of Pakistan’s total medicine exports, worth $457.4 million.

According to Touqir ul Haq, had exports and supplies to Afghanistan continued as normal in fiscal year 2026, Pakistan’s medicine exports could have risen by 20 to 25 per cent.

According to the PPMA, total exports of medical products, including medicines, surgical instruments, dietary supplements, medical devices and nutrition-related products, also fell to $771 million in fiscal year 2026, from $990 million in fiscal year 2025.

During this period, Pakistan’s total exports also fell 6 per cent from the previous fiscal year to $30.13 billion.