Exports rise 5.88% to $17b in four months

Bangladesh’s merchandise exports grew 5.88% year-on-year to US$17.04 billion in the first four months of the 2026-27 fiscal year, supported mainly by the garment sector and gains in several non-traditional export industries.

The country earned $17.04 billion from merchandise exports during July-October, compared with $16.08 billion in the same period a year earlier, generating an additional $960 million, according to the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB).

Readymade garments (RMG) remained the main growth driver, with knitwear exports rising 7% to $7.71 billion and woven garment exports increasing 4.8% to $6 billion.

Together, the two categories earned $13.71 billion, accounting for around 80.4% of total merchandise export receipts during the period, according to Bangladesh Bank’s product-wise export statistics.

Outside the garment sector, jute and jute goods exports increased 23.8% to $383 million, while leather and leather products rose 12.7% to $464 million.

Chemical product exports recorded the highest growth among several major non-RMG categories, surging 27.3% to $157 million. Home textile exports increased 7.4% to $263 million, while footwear shipments grew 9.7% to $194 million.

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Some smaller export categories also posted strong gains. Exports of wigs and human hair jumped 86.4% to $94 million, while ores, slag and ash rose 63.7% to $26 million. Carpet exports increased 37% to $17 million.

However, the export performance remained uneven, with several sectors recording declines.

Agricultural product exports fell 13.5% to $325 million, while frozen and live fish shipments dropped 10.9% to $152 million.

Exports of cotton and cotton products, including yarn, waste and fabrics, declined 10.2% to $170 million. Paper and paper product exports also fell 18.2% to $75 million.

The figures point to continued reliance on the garment industry, although growth in jute, leather, chemicals and other products signals some diversification in the country’s export basket. Weak performance in agriculture, fisheries and other sectors, however, remains a concern.