Sugar imports jump 7,906.15% in 7-month, ringing alarm bells over supply planning

• PBS data shows imports cross $17.46m, compared to just $211,800 last year

• January 2026 alone sees $23.4m sugar imports, up 46.38% MoM

• Total food imports swell beyond $5.5b amid rising dependence on foreign supplies

 ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has recorded an extraordinary 7,906.15 per cent surge in sugar imports during the first seven months of the current fiscal year, according to official data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).

In its report, the PBS revealed that between July and January, sugar imports crossed $17.46 million, a sharp contrast to just $211,800 recorded during the corresponding period of the previous fiscal year.

The surge was particularly pronounced in January 2026, when sugar imports alone reached $23.4 million, reflecting a 46.38 per cent month-on-month increase, indicating growing reliance on imported sugar.

Overall food imports also showed a steady upward trend, registering a 7.74 per cent increase in January and a cumulative rise of 19.26 per cent over the seven-month period. During this timeframe, the total value of food imports exceeded $5.5 billion.

Other major food import items included tea worth over $37.65 million, palm oil exceeding $235 million, and dried fruits valued at more than $11 million, the data showed.

Meanwhile, imports of mobile phones rose sharply during the same period, reaching $114 million in seven months, marking a 31.36 per cent increase compared to the previous year. January 2026 alone witnessed a 33.62 per cent rise in mobile phone imports.

Earlier this month, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) filed a reference in an accountability court against a private sugar mill and officials of the Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP).

The Ministry of Commerce had lodged a complaint with NAB over alleged misappropriation involving 5,365 metric tons of sugar. The matter was earlier taken up by the Public Accounts Committee, which subsequently referred the case to NAB for further investigation.

According to NAB, an inquiry conducted by NAB Karachi under the National Accountability Ordinance found that the accused acted in collusion with TCP officers to commit fraud related to sugar stocks.

NAB stated that the alleged corruption caused a loss of approximately Rs960 million to the national exchequer. A NAB spokesperson confirmed that NAB Karachi has converted the initial inquiry into a formal investigation.