Exports grow 6.34% to $13b in Jul-Sep

The country’s merchandise exports reached $13b, registering a 6.34% growth compared to $12.31b earned during the first quarter of FY2026-27 (July-September) compared to the period corresponding period, according to Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) data released on Thursday.

It also stated that the country’s merchandise exports continued to demonstrate strong resilience and competitiveness in the global market, recording a significant year-on-year growth of 8.54% in September 2026.

Export earnings increased from $3.63 billion in September 2025 to $3.94b in September 2026.

The Ready-Made Garments (RMG) sector, the backbone of Bangladesh’s export economy, maintained its leading position and achieved encouraging growth.

During July-September FY 2026-27, RMG exports increased by 6.10%, reaching $10,578.56 million compared to $9,970.42 million during the same period of the previous fiscal year.

On a year-on-year basis, September RMG exports grew by 8.56%, rising from $2.84b to $3b. Within the RMG sector, knitwear exports registered a cumulative growth of 6.88%, increasing from $5.58b to $5.96b, while woven garment exports grew by 5.11%, from $4.39b to $4.61b.

In September alone, knitwear and woven garments achieved year-on-year growth of 8.58% and 8.54% respectively, the EPB data also showed.

Several major non-RMG sectors also recorded impressive performance during the period. Leather and leather products registered cumulative growth of 14.74% and year-on-year growth of 20.19%, reflecting rising global demand and improved market penetration.

Jute and jute goods exports increased by 31.55% cumulatively and 22.72% year-on-year, demonstrating the growing international preference for sustainable and environmentally friendly products.

The Light Engineering sector posted cumulative growth of 16.51%, while September exports grew by 3.76%. Home Textiles recorded cumulative growth of 11.94% and year-on-year growth of 13.52%, supported by steady demand in key international markets.

Particularly noteworthy was the performance of the Pharmaceuticals sector, which achieved cumulative growth of 40.39% and a remarkable 64.33% year-on-year growth in September, highlighting the sector’s increasing global competitiveness and export potential.

Although agricultural products and frozen and live fish experienced negative growth during the period, the strong performance of major manufacturing and value-added sectors contributed substantially to the overall export expansion.

Among Bangladesh’s export destinations, the United States (US) remained the single largest market, with exports growing by 11.34% during July-September FY27, reaching $2.59b compared to $2.33b during the same period of the previous fiscal year.

The United Kingdom (UK) retained its position as the second-largest export destination with imports worth $1.37b, while Germany ranked third with $1.23b.

Bangladesh also recorded exceptional growth in emerging markets. Exports to Türkiye registered the highest growth among major destinations, increasing by 100.11%, from $105.21 million to $210.54 million.

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India and Japan continued to remain important export destinations, ranking sixth and ninth respectively among Bangladesh’s major export markets with positive growths.

The latest export performance reflects the resilience of Bangladesh’s export sector, the sustained confidence of international buyers, and the collective efforts of exporters, workers, entrepreneurs, and stakeholders.

The EPB remains committed to supporting export diversification, market expansion, product upgrading, and trade facilitation initiatives to sustain export growth and achieve the country’s long-term export objectives.