Pakistan imports fell by more than a third in July after a ban on non-essentials, the finance minister said on Sunday, adding the improved trade situation will reduce pressure on the struggling rupee.
July imports fell to $5 billion, down 35 per cent from June's record monthly high of $7.7 billion, Miftah Ismail told a news conference in Islamabad.
The central bank and Pakistan statistics bureau is yet to post its July data.
"This is very welcoming," Ismail said, adding it was the result of his government's ban on all non-essential imports. "It will remove pressure on rupee," he said.
The rupee traded up slightly at 239.37 to the dollar on Friday, after shedding about 5 per cent last week and more than a quarter of its value this year.
The ban on the import of non-essential goods was lifted last week, except for automobiles, cell phones and home appliances.
Ismail said his government has resolved to bring down the current account deficit significantly and to post a surplus in a year or two.
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