In the 1990s, Pakistan exported the equivalent of 16 percent of GDP. By 2023–24, that ratio had fallen to 10 percent. In absolute terms, Pakistan exported $39.5 billion worth of goods and services in 2022. In FY2024–25, exports slipped to $32.1 billion.

Vietnam exports the equivalent of 86 percent of its GDP. Pakistan exports just 10 percent. In 1990, Vietnam exported $2.4 billion. By 2024, that figure had exploded to $429 billion. Pakistan, meanwhile, moved from roughly $5 billion in 1990 to $32 billion today.

Three decades. Two countries. Vietnam chose exports as a growth engine. Pakistan let exports become an afterthought.

Why are Pakistan’s exports stuck? To begin with, Pakistan has an anti-export tax wedge. Yes, exports fail because costs are unpredictable and punitive. Five mountains Pakistani exporters up against:........

© Pakistan Observer