Staff Reporter

Bangladesh’s merchandise export earnings jumped 13.14 percent year-on-year to $4.43 billion in August, driven by robust shipments in ready-made garments (RMG) along with impressive double-digit growth across several non-RMG sectors.

In August 2025, merchandise exports stood at $3.92 billion, according to data released by the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) on Tuesday (September 1).

With August’s surge, total exports for the first two months (July-August) of the 2026-27 fiscal year reached $9.16 billion—marking a 5.43 percent increase compared to $8.69 billion recorded in the corresponding period of the previous fiscal year.

The ready-made garment sector continued to serve as the primary engine of growth. RMG exports rose 13.92 percent year-on-year to $3.89 billion in August. On a cumulative basis, apparel shipments during the July-August period expanded by 5.12 percent to $7.50 billion.

Both primary sub-sectors of the apparel industry posted solid gains in August. Knitwear exports climbed 14.88 percent, while woven garment shipments grew 12.70 percent. For the two-month period, knitwear grew 6.17 percent and woven products rose 3.81 percent.

Beyond apparel, several non-RMG sectors demonstrated strong double-digit growth in August:

Jute & Jute Goods: +37.09%

Pharmaceuticals: +28.52%

Leather & Leather Goods: +24.85%

Printed Materials: +24.83%

Engineering Products: +23.88%

Footwear (Non-Leather): +15.29%

This upward trend was also reflected in the cumulative figures for July-August FY27, where printed materials posted a 41.89 percent growth, pharmaceuticals rose 38.94 percent, non-leather footwear increased 27.32 percent, and jute goods grew 22.26 percent.

US REMAINS TOP EXPORT DESTINATION

The United States maintained its position as Bangladesh’s largest single-country export destination, with shipments surging 26.09 percent in August. Over the July-August period, total exports to the US grew by 11.90 percent.

The United Kingdom reclaimed its status as the second-largest market, followed by Germany, Spain, and the Netherlands, EPB data showed.

Among emerging destinations, Türkiye registered the highest growth, with exports soaring 141.03 percent in August. Shipments to South Korea and Saudi Arabia also saw substantial increases of 42.37 percent and 42.09 percent, respectively.

CAPACITY & MARKET DIVERSIFICATION DRIVE MOMENTUM

The EPB attributed the performance to strengthening global demand, enhanced buyer confidence in Bangladesh as a reliable sourcing hub, and expanded domestic manufacturing capacity. Ongoing efforts toward product diversification and higher exports of value-added goods also bolstered total revenues.

The robust earnings arrive despite an uncertain global economic landscape characterized by fluctuating demand in select markets and heightened competition from alternative apparel-manufacturing nations.

While the broad-based expansion across pharmaceuticals, leather, and engineering goods signals positive movement toward export diversification, the RMG sector continues to command the vast majority of total export volume, highlighting the ongoing need to develop non-traditional export streams.