According to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, Pakistan imported $1.596 billion worth of mobile phones in the first nine months of 2021-22, up 3.93 percent from $1.535 billion in the same time the previous year, despite a rise in local manufacture (PBS).
Imports of mobile phones into Pakistan grew by 29.47 percent month over month in March 2022, remaining at $183.894 million, according to PBS data, compared to $142.033 million imported in February 2022. Overall telecom imports into the country climbed by 11.08 percent during the review period (July-March) 2021-22, rising from $1.923 billion in July-March 2020-21 to $2.136 billion in the same period last year.
When compared to $224.503 million in March 2021, mobile phone sales have dropped 18.09 percent year on year. Overall telecom imports into the country climbed by 22.87 percent month over month in March 2022, remaining at $267.124 million, compared to imports of $217.396 million in February 2022.
Overall telecom imports fell 12.01 percent year over year to $303.568 million in March 2021, compared to $303.568 million in March 2020. Imports of other apparatus climbed by 39.45% from July to March 2021-22 to $540.198 million, compared to $387.369 million in July to March 2020-21.
Other apparatus imports increased by 10.44 percent month over month to $83.230 million in March 2022, compared to $75.364 million in February 2022, and increased by 5.27 percent when compared to $79.065 million in March 2022.
According to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, local manufacturing plants assembled 3.94 million mobile phone handsets in February 2022, compared to 0.36 million commercially imported in February 2022. (PTA).
Local manufacturing plants produced 24.66 million mobile phone handsets in calendar year 2021, up from 13.05 million in calendar year 2020, an increase of 88 percent. According to official PTA data, commercial imports of mobile phone handsets were 10.26 million in 2021, down from 24.51 million in 2020.
2.38 million 2G and 1.56 million smartphone handsets are among the 3.94 million locally manufactured/assembled mobile phones. Furthermore, according to PTA data, 53 percent of mobile devices on the Pakistan network are smartphones, while 47 percent are 2G.
Despite the increase in local mobile phone production, mobile phones worth $1.596 billion were imported in the first nine months of 2021-22 (July-March) compared to $1.535 billion in the same time previous year, a 3.93 percent increase.