With over 225.2 million residents, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan has the world’s 5th largest population.
Pakistan benefits from a 650-mile (1,046-kilometer) coastline with the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman. The South Asian nation also shares borders with key economic powerhouses China to its northeast and India to its east.
Both English and Urdu are official languages in Pakistan. Urdu is an Indo-Aryan language used principally in South Asia while English is used most often for international trade purposes.
Pakistan is often overlooked as a market for selling imported goods. Nevertheless, the Pakistani economy ranks as the world’s 26th richest in terms of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on a Purchasing Power Parity basis.
The 100 most valuable consumer products imported into Pakistan in 2020 generated a subtotal US$19.2 billion worth of Pakistani spending. That consumer-specific dollar amount represents 43.5% of the overall value of all goods imported into Pakistan. The heavily populated South Asian nation’s overall spending on all imports, including raw materials and intermediate products, totaled $45.8 billion.
Among Pakistan’s most valuable consumer products in 2020 are: refined petroleum oils; palm oil; phones including smartphones; coal including solid fuels made from coal; and cars.
Total spending on Pakistan’s top 100 imported consumer products decreased by -2.8% from 2019 to 2020. Pakistan’s top 100 consumer metric was more modest than the -8.7% drop for all of Pakistan’s imported goods for the year.
The slowdown in Pakistani spending for imported consumer products was much less than the global average decline from 2019 to 2020, which was an average drop of -8.2% for all importing countries around the world.
Among the top 100 consumer products imported by Pakistan, 39 increased in total value from 2019 to 2020 whereas 61 declined.
Changes in Pakistani consumer demand for essential imports offer future opportunities for international suppliers who correctly anticipate which upward or downward trends will continue.
Consumer Products Defined
Economics educator BoyceWire defines a consumer product as a final good or end product that a business creates for consumers to buy. For example, consumers often purchase refined petroleum oil at the gas station while imported crude oil is an intermediate good subject to further processing before being sold to end users.
Although there may be a few wealthy individual buyers, products like turbojets are excluded from the consumer products targeted by this study. That is because turbojets are usually purchased by corporations. In contrast, it is common for a consumer to buy a motorcycle.
Types of Consumer Products
This article focuses on 3 distinct consumer product types.
Convenience Products are easy to access, non-durable, have relatively lower prices and therefore consumers frequently purchase them. Examples of convenience products are food, alcoholic or non-alcoholic drinks, and soap.
Shopping Products are not as easily available, involve more time to make a buying decision, are durable and are not bought as often as most convenience products. A great example of a shopping product is a mobile phone where buying the wrong model is a much more expensive mistake than buying a disappointing loaf of bread.
Specialty Products describe another consumer product type. This grey area includes infrequently purchased, expensive, durable and sometimes rare items. Consumers may consider the product’s brand image when making their purchase decisions. Some examples of speciality products are gold, silver, diamonds, jewelry, and branded refrigerators and dishwashers.
Pakistani Consumer Imports Smart List
The searchable marketing intelligence table below showcases Pakistan’s 100 highest-value imported consumer products in descending order. Items were selected at the four-digit Harmonized System tariff classification code level.
The table’s fourth column is labeled YOY for year over year. The fifth column identifies each entry’s consumer product type.
| # | Imported Product | US$ | YOY | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Processed petroleum oils | $4,194,995,000 | -22.1% | CP |
| 2 | Palm oil | $2,109,310,000 | +20.2% | CP |
| 3 | Phones | $2,039,650,000 | +43.5% | SP |
| 4 | Coal, solid fuels made from coal | $1,233,246,000 | -10.8% | CP |
| 5 | Cars | $860,288,000 | +8.9% | SP |
| 6 | Soya beans | $842,490,000 | +11.4% | CP |
| 7 | Dried shelled vegetables | $655,148,000 | +40.4% | CP |
| 8 | Tea (including flavored) | $589,756,000 | +18.7% | CP |
| 9 | Electric generating sets, converters | $534,975,000 | +48.3% | SY |
| 10 | Electrical converters/power units | $475,759,000 | -17% | SP |
| 11 | Medications | $474,019,000 | +4.2% | CP |
| 12 | Hot-rolled iron/non-alloy steel items | $446,931,000 | -6.2% | SP |
| 13 | Fertilizer mixes | $383,499,000 | -21.1% | SY |
| 14 | Computers, optical readers | $307,046,000 | -2.4% | SP |
| 15 | Rubber tires (new) | $254,842,000 | +149.3% | SP |
| 16 | Trucks | $220,347,000 | +21.5% | SP |
| 17 | Worn clothing, accessories | $204,330,000 | -11.5% | SP |
| 18 | Packaged insecticides, herbicides | $196,644,000 | +11.2% | SP |
| 19 | Liquid pumps | $167,157,000 | -23.8% | SY |
| 20 | Malt extract, food preparations | $134,996,000 | +15.1% | CP |
| 21 | Automobile parts/accessories | $132,924,000 | -27.7% | SP |
| 22 | Onions, garlic, leeks | $131,244,000 | +78.6% | CP |
| 23 | Sugar (cane or beet) | $129,526,000 | +3372% | CP |
| 24 | Antibiotics | $127,523,000 | +5.7% | CP |
| 25 | Unrecorded sound media | $123,516,000 | -34.4% | SP |
| 26 | Air conditioners | $122,057,000 | -18.7% | SY |
| 27 | Temperature-change machines | $102,098,000 | -68.7% | SY |
| 28 | Ginger, thyme, bay leaves, curry | $96,824,000 | +11.5% | CP |
| 29 | Other organic cleaning preparations | $93,969,000 | +0.8% | CP |
| 30 | Insulated wire/cable | $88,862,000 | -57.4% | SP |
| 31 | Refrigerators, freezers | $80,538,000 | -8% | SY |
| 32 | Printing machinery | $75,141,000 | -41.2% | SP |
| 33 | Aluminum foil | $73,005,000 | +7.5% | SP |
| 34 | Sowing seeds, fruits, spores | $70,120,000 | -0.1% | CP |
| 35 | Soya-bean oil | $66,551,000 | -33.5% | CP |
| 36 | Lower-voltage switches, fuses | $66,537,000 | -14.4% | SP |
| 37 | Grapes (fresh or dried) | $65,206,000 | -23% | CP |
| 38 | Dishwash, clean/dry/fill machines | $65,026,000 | -37.4% | SY |
| 39 | Tomatoes | $64,547,000 | +51.6% | CP |
| 40 | Electric storage batteries | $62,475,000 | -22.1% | SY |
| 41 | Motorcycles | $61,419,000 | -13.5% | SP |
| 42 | Uncoated paper for writing/printing | $61,342,000 | -11.9% | CP |
| 43 | Other food preparations | $61,163,000 | -8.2% | CP |
| 44 | Corn | $56,662,000 | +8.8% | CP |
| 45 | Concentrated/sweetened milk | $54,284,000 | -37.8% | CP |
| 46 | Electric lamps | $51,106,000 | -5.5% | SP |
| 47 | Provitamins, vitamins | $49,857,000 | -13% | CP |
| 48 | Tractors | $49,689,000 | -15.7% | SP |
| 49 | Potassic fertilizers | $48,734,000 | -0.5% | SY |
| 50 | Miscellaneous plastic items | $48,585,000 | -18.1% | CP |
| 51 | Miscellaneous iron or steel items | $48,198,000 | -53.6% | SP |
| 52 | Vulcanized rubber items | $45,605,000 | +7.5% | SP |
| 53 | Peppers | $38,782,000 | +28.1% | CP |
| 54 | Apples, pears (fresh) | $36,472,000 | -16.1% | CP |
| 55 | Miscellaneous vegetable products | $35,012,000 | +9.2% | CP |
| 56 | Lubricant preparations, anti-rust | $33,818,000 | -27.1% | SP |
| 57 | Nitrogenous fertilizers | $33,323,000 | -48.4% | SY |
| 58 | Rice | $33,304,000 | -2.7% | CP |
| 59 | Miscellaneous textile items | $33,209,000 | +214.5% | SP |
| 60 | Orthopedic appliances | $33,162,000 | -43.6% | SP |
| 61 | Motorcycle parts/accessories | $32,915,000 | -32.3% | SP |
| 62 | Electric water heaters, hair dryers | $30,917,000 | +16.7% | SY |
| 63 | Miscellaneous nuts | $30,090,000 | +61.4% | CP |
| 64 | Prepared glues, adhesives | $29,996,000 | -2.3% | SP |
| 65 | Sewing machines, related furniture | $29,893,000 | -32.2% | SY |
| 66 | Plastic packing goods, lids, caps | $28,877,000 | -44.6% | CP |
| 67 | Screws, bolts, washers, hooks, pins | $27,152,000 | -46.4% | SP |
| 68 | Miscellaneous toys | $24,965,000 | -28.1% | SP |
| 69 | Footwear (textile) | $24,368,000 | -35.9% | SP |
| 70 | Sanitary towels, baby liner/napkins | $23,631,000 | -39.7% | SP |
| 71 | Prefabricated buildings | $23,394,000 | -10% | SY |
| 72 | Printed books, brochures | $23,071,000 | -34% | SP |
| 73 | Locks, lock-keys | $23,016,000 | +1.6% | SP |
| 74 | Dried fruits | $22,826,000 | +22.4% | CP |
| 75 | Seats (not barber/dentist chairs) | $21,781,000 | -33% | SP |
| 76 | Vulcanized rubber apparel | $21,318,000 | +60% | SP |
| 77 | Household base metal mountings | $21,256,000 | -8.2% | SY |
| 78 | Special hand/machine tools | $20,947,000 | -43.8% | SY |
| 79 | Microphones/headphones/amps | $19,569,000 | -13.8% | SP |
| 80 | Margarine | $19,499,000 | -2% | CP |
| 81 | Beauty/makeup/skin care | $19,425,000 | -16.1% | SY |
| 82 | Potatoes | $19,230,000 | +313.9% | CP |
| 83 | Household glassware | $18,680,000 | -6.6% | SP |
| 84 | Caraway, coriander, juniper seeds | $18,374,000 | +49.8% | CP |
| 85 | Hair preparations | $18,158,000 | -19.4% | SP |
| 86 | Miscellaneous fruits (fresh) | $18,121,000 | -26.2% | CP |
| 87 | Medication mixes not in dosage | $17,998,000 | +6.9% | CP |
| 88 | Sheep or lamb raw skins | $17,970,000 | -14.1% | SP |
| 89 | Cocoa powder (no sweetener) | $17,908,000 | -9% | CP |
| 90 | Animal or vegetable fats, oils | $17,871,000 | +3.8% | CP |
| 91 | Nutmeg, cardamoms | $17,558,000 | -9.8% | CP |
| 92 | Computer parts, accessories | $17,161,000 | +11.2% | SP |
| 93 | Glass bottles, other containers | $16,630,000 | +14.1% | SP |
| 94 | Cucumbers | $16,392,000 | -7.7% | CP |
| 95 | Porcelain/china tableware, kitchenware | $16,098,000 | +11% | SP |
| 96 | Cases, handbags, wallets | $15,600,000 | -39.7% | SP |
| 97 | Other pharmaceutical preparations | $15,471,000 | 0% | SP |
| 98 | Miscellaneous glass items | $15,416,000 | +58.1% | SP |
| 99 | Coconut copra | $15,165,000 | +37.1% | CP |
| 100 | Coconuts, Brazil nuts, cashews | $14,820,000 | +30.2% | CP |
Pakistan’s most popular product type is shopping products (SP) led by imported phones, cars, electrical converters or power units, hot-rolled iron or non-alloy steel items, computers and new rubber tires. Shopping products represent 43 of the top 100 Pakistani imported consumer goods.
In second place via 41 items are convenience products (CP), articles that are bought routinely, used only once and generally require less thinking time before making a buying decision. Examples include refined petroleum oils, palm oil, coal, soya beans, dried shelled vegetables, tea and medications.
There were 16 speciality products (SY) ranking among Pakistan’s top 100 imported consumer goods. Major speciality products imported into Pakistan include fertilizers, liquid pumps, air conditioners, temperature-change machines, refrigerators, freezers, dishwashers and electric storage batteries.
Durable consumer products are goods like cars, trucks, printing machinery, insulated wire or cable, and furniture that last a relatively long time. Consumers can put durable products to use again and again. By product type, note that both shopping products and speciality products are considered as durable consumer goods.
Non-durable consumer products (ND) are goods that are not re-used once consumed. Coal, medications, sugar and corn are examples of non-durable goods. Convenience products are uniquely non-durable consumer products.
Based on the product types identified in the above table, 59 of Pakistan’s highest-value consumer imported products are durable while 41 are classified as non-durable. Using the provided table, you can also peruse the greatest increases or decreases in product values from 2019 to 2020. To do so, click on the heading of the fourth column.
Fastest-Growing Consumer Imports
Listed below are the top 10 consumer products imported into Pakistan that experienced the highest percentage increases in spending from 2019 to 2020.
- Sugar (cane or beet): Up 3,372% ($129.6 million)
- Potatoes: Up 313.9% ($19.2 million)
- Miscellaneous textile items: Up 214.5% ($33.2 million)
- New rubber tires: Up 149.3% ($254.8 million)
- Onions, garlic, leeks: Up 78.6% ($131.2 million)
- Miscellaneous nuts: Up 61.4% ($30.1 million)
- Vulcanized rubber apparel: Up 60% ($21.3 million)
- Miscellaneous glass items: Up 58.1% ($15.4 million)
- Tomatoes: Up 51.6% ($64.5 million)
- Caraway, coriander, juniper seeds: Up 49.8% ($18.4 million)
Four among the above top 10 gainers are shopping goods and therefore also durable goods that consumers can re-use over time. These 4 fastest-growing products in demand by importers in Pakistan are miscellaneous textile items, new rubber tires, vulcanized rubber apparel and miscellaneous glass items.
The 6 non-durable imported convenience products that lead in sales growth are sugar, potatoes, onions plus garlic or leeks, miscellaneous nuts, tomatoes, then caraway, coriander and juniper seeds.
Worst-Declining Consumer Imports
Spending by import buyers in Pakistan on the following 10 items decreased in value at the severest rates from 2019 to 2020.
- Temperature-change machines: Down -68.7% ($102.1 million)
- Insulated wire/cable: Down -57.4% ($88.9 million)
- Miscellaneous iron or steel items: Down -53.6% ($48.2 million)
- Nitrogenous fertilizers: Down -48.4% ($33.3 million)
- Screws, bolts, washers, hooks, pins: Down -46.4% ($27.2 million)
- Plastic packing goods, lids, caps: Down -44.6% ($28.9 million)
- Special hand/machine tools: Down -43.8% ($20.9 million)
- Orthopedic appliances: Down -43.6% ($33.2 million)
- Printing machinery: Down -41.2% ($75.1 million)
- Sanitary towels, baby napkins/liners: Down -39.7% ($23.6 million)
Six categories among Pakistani top 10 severest decliners are durable shopping products used over a period of time. The worst slippage among those categories was for insulated wire or cable; screws, bolts, washers, hooks and pins; orthopedic appliances; and printing machinery.
The strongest declines for durable speciality goods belong to temperature-change machines, nitrogenous fertilizers and special hand or machine tools.
Pakistan’s major import decliner was a non-durable convenience product, namely one-time use plastic packing goods including lids and caps.
Key Product Suppliers by Country
This analysis reveals competitive suppliers that target demand for 5 of Pakistan’s top consumer import products.
Pakistan’s biggest imported consumer product by value is processed petroleum oils. The other 4 leading consumer goods imported into Pakistan are palm oil, phones, coal and cars.
Below, you will find major supplying countries for Pakistan’s imported:
Processed petroleum oils: United Arab Emirates (52.7% of total), Kuwait (17.8%), Oman (6.6%), Singapore (5.2%), Netherlands (4.6%), Malaysia (2.5%), Saudi Arabia (2.5%), China (2.3%), South Korea (1.8%), and Panama (0.8%).
Palm oil: Indonesia (77.1% of total), Malaysia (22.9%) and the United Arab Emirates (0.04%).
Phones: China (69.6% of total), Taiwan (12.0%), Vietnam (10.7%), Hong Kong (5.6%), Sweden (0.5%), United States (0.2%), Malaysia (0.2%), Mexico (0.2%), Japan (0.1%), and Singapore (0.1%).
Coal: South Africa (67.3% of total), Indonesia (18.2%), Russia (6.9%), Australia (3.7%), Afghanistan (3.5%), Saudi Arabia (0.2%), China (0.1%), Iran (0.06%), United States (0.05%), and Egypt (0.02%).
Cars: Japan (31.2% of total), South Korea (28.9%), Thailand (21.6%), Indonesia (6.1%), China (3.9%), Belgium (3%), Germany (2%), Philippines (1.2%), Malaysia (0.6%), and United Kingdom (0.5%).
See also
More great research: Pakistan’s Main Imports by Top Supplier Countries, US Top 100 Imported Consumer Products, 100 Most Valuable Imported Consumer Goods to Sell in Turkey, 100 Best Consumer Goods for Selling to Importers in Russia, 100 Top Consumer Goods to Sell to Importers in Brazil
References
Independent insights and analysis presented in this article are based on researched facts and statistics sourced from the following educational portals.
BoyceWire, Consumer Goods Definition.
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook: Pakistan Economy.
International Trade Centre, Trade Map.
Investopedia, Consumer Goods, Consumer Staples Definition, Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG).
Richest Country Reports, Top 100 Richest Countries by GDP.
Trading Economics, Pakistan Consumer Spending.
Wikipedia, List of largest consumer markets.
Wikipedia, Pakistan.
World’s Top Exports, Pakistan’s Top 10 Imports.
