ISLAMABAD, Sept. 3 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan's merchandise exports declined 12.49 percent year-on-year in August, falling to 2.42 billion U.S. dollars, official data showed.

The contraction marked the fourth decline in the past five months, with only July showing positive growth. On a month-on-month basis, exports dropped 9.98 percent, PBS data showed.

During the first two months of the current fiscal year 2025-26, exports edged up by 0.65 percent to 5.11 billion dollars, compared with 5.07 billion dollars in the same period last year.

Imports, however, rose 6.42 percent in August to 5.28 billion dollars, widening the monthly trade deficit by 30.13 percent to 2.86 billion dollars compared with 2.21 billion dollars a year earlier. ■