ISLAMABAD: Despite a persistent decline in exports, the Large Scale Manufacturing (LSM) sector registered a double-digit growth of 10.37 percent in November mainly because of impressive performance of automobile, petroleum, garments and cement sectors. According to the figures released by Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), overall LSM sector has shown a growth of 6.01 percent during July-November 2025-26 compared to the corresponding period of last year. On Month-on-Month basis it increased by 0.16 percent. The main contributors in the overall growth of 6.01 percent as per their weightage in Quantum Index Numbers of LSM Industries are food (0.47), tobacco (0.06), textile (0.32), Garments (1.24), paper & board (0.07), petroleum products (1.29), chemicals (-0.12), pharmaceuticals (-0.34), cement (0.78), iron & steel products (-0.17), electrical equipment (0.22), machinery and equipment (-0.05), automobiles (1.77), other transport equipment (0.24), and furniture (-0.19). READ MORE: Jul-Oct FY26: LSM sector posts 5.02% growth YoY The production in July-November 2025-26 on Year-on-Year basis increased in automobile sector by 75 percent, coke & petroleum products by 18.06 percent, cement 13.47 percent and garments 7.14 percent. Apart from this, increase is also registered in food, beverages, tobacco, paper & board, rubber products, non-metallic mineral products, fabricated metal, computer, electronics and optical products and electrical equipment. Whereas decline is witnessed in leather products, wood products, chemical products, pharmaceuticals, iron & steel products, machinery and equipment, and furniture. Experts are of the opinion that decline in imports triggered growth in the domestic production but still decline in the exports for five consecutive months raises lot of questions on these LSM numbers. It may be mentioned here that in the first half of FY26 (July-December), the export proceeds recorded a negative growth of 8.70pc to USD 15.184 billion this year as against USD 16.63 billion over the corresponding months of last year. Copyright Business Recorder, 2026