In the first two months (January–February) of 2024, local manufacturing and assembly facilities produced and assembled 6.1 million mobile phones, as opposed to 0.3 million that were commercially imported.
According to official data, 3.83 million mobile handsets were manufactured and assembled locally in February, as opposed to 0.06 million that were commercially imported. Moreover, 2.78 million 2G and 3.35 million smartphones were among the 6.1 million mobile phone devices that were produced or built locally. Furthermore, according to PTA data, 40% of mobile devices on the Pakistan network are 2G and 60% of mobile devices are smartphones.
In 2023, there was a four percent decrease in the local production and assembly of mobile phones. This reduction was caused by restrictions on opening letters of credit (LCs) for accessories related to mobile phones, which led to problems with imports. Official data, however, showed that during this time, commercial imports of mobile devices rose despite limitations.
In 2023, local manufacturing facilities produced and assembled 21.28 million mobile phones, as opposed to 21.94 million in 2022 and 24.66 million in 2021 over the same period. But from 1.53 million in 2022 to 1.58 million in 2023, commercial imports rose. In addition, 13. million 2G and 8.28 million smartphones were among the 21.28 million mobile phones that were produced or built locally.
According to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), the country’s imports of mobile phones fell by 17.46 percent on a month-over-month (MoM) basis in February 2024, totaling $160.899 million, from $194.928 million in January 2024. In February 2024, Pakistan’s imports of mobile phones fell by 17.46 percent month-over-month (MoM) to $160.899 million from $194.928 million in January 2024, as reported by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).
