Mobile Phone Imports Soar by 181.26% In Pakistan This Year

According to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), mobile phone imports in Pakistan rose by 181.26% during the first nine months (July-March) of the fiscal year 2023-24, reaching $1.301 billion. There is a significant increase in mobile imports this year compared to the $462.700 million recorded during the same period in the previous fiscal year.

Reports claim that March 2024 witnessed a slight decline in mobile phone imports on a month-on-month (MoM) basis, with imports summing up to $153.051 million. It was a 4.87% decrease from February 2024’s $160.90 million. However, mobile phone imports saw a remarkable 930.92 % growth in March 2024 on a year-on-year basis.

Pakistan Witnesses Increase In Mobile Phone & Telecom Imports This Year

It is pertinent to mention that overall telecom imports also reflected the same trend. During the first nine months of the fiscal year, total telecom imports rose to $1.623 billion, representing a 117.90% increase from $744.971 million compared to the previous fiscal year. On a YoY basis, telecom imports soar by 422.58%, totaling $189.042 million in March 2024 compared to $36.175 million in March 2023. On the other hand, telecom imports witnessed a slight decline of 1.13% in March 2024 on a MoM basis, down from $191.201 million in February 2024.

The local manufacturing and assembling of mobile smartphones remained an area of focus this year. During the first two months (January-February) of 2024, local plants manufactured or assembled 6.1 million mobile handsets. They included 2.78 million 2G and 3.35 million smartphones. During the same period, only 0.3 million units were imported commercially. However, in February 2024, local plants manufactured or assembled 3.83 million mobile handsets. It was significantly higher than the 0.06 million units imported commercially.

According to PTA, 60 % of mobile devices on the Pakistan network are smartphones, while the remaining 40% are 2G phones. Due to the potent local manufacturing efforts, the local manufacturing and assembling of mobile handsets declined by around 4% during the fiscal year 2023. This decline is due to challenges in importing mobile phone accessories and restrictions on the opening of letters of credit (LCs).

Anyhow, commercial imports of mobile smartphones increased during this period. It suggests a strategic shift to meet the demand for mobile phones in the face of supply chain disruptions. The official data highlights an intricate picture of Pakistan’s mobile phone industry with substantial growth in imports and shifts in local manufacturing dynamics.