Bangladesh's total merchandise exports reached $13.09 billion in the first quarter (July–September) of fiscal year 2026-27, up 6.34% year-on-year from $12.31 billion in the same period last fiscal year. Exports in September alone totaled $3.94 billion, up 8.54% year-on-year. Readymade garments (RMG), the absolute mainstay of the country's exports, brought in $10.58 billion in the quarter, up 6.10% year-on-year; RMG exports in September alone were about $3 billion, up 8.56% year-on-year. The data was released Thursday by the Bangladesh Export Promotion Bureau (EPB).

Key points

  • Bangladesh's merchandise exports totaled $13.09 billion in July–September of FY2026-27, up 6.34% year-on-year; September exports alone were $3.94 billion, up 8.54% year-on-year.
  • RMG exports in the quarter were $10.58 billion (+6.10%), of which knitwear was $5.96 billion (+6.88%) and woven garments $4.61 billion (+5.11%).
  • The United States remained the largest export market, with exports to it reaching $2.59 billion in the quarter (+11.34%); exports to Turkey saw the largest increase, at 100.11%.

By category, both knitwear and woven segments within RMG maintained growth. Knitwear exports in July–September were $5.96 billion, up 6.88% from $5.58 billion a year earlier; woven garment exports were $4.61 billion, up 5.11% from $4.39 billion a year earlier. In September alone, knitwear and woven exports grew 8.58% and 8.54% year-on-year respectively.

Among non-RMG categories, several segments performed strongly. Leather and leather goods grew 14.74% in the quarter and 20.19% year-on-year in September alone; jute and jute goods rose 31.55% in the quarter and 22.72% year-on-year in September; light engineering products grew 16.51% in the quarter and 3.76% year-on-year in September; home textiles rose 11.94% in the quarter and 13.52% year-on-year in September. Pharmaceutical products saw the most outstanding growth, up 40.39% in the quarter and surging 64.33% year-on-year in September alone. Agricultural products and frozen and fresh fish recorded negative growth over the same period.

In terms of export destinations, the United States remained Bangladesh's largest single market, with exports to it reaching $2.59 billion in July–September, up 11.34% from $2.33 billion a year earlier. The United Kingdom ranked second with $1.37 billion, and Germany third with $1.23 billion. Among major destinations, exports to Turkey grew fastest, jumping from $105.21 million to $210.54 million, an increase of 100.11%. India and Japan ranked sixth and ninth among export markets respectively, both achieving positive growth.

The EPB said the latest data reflects the resilience of Bangladesh's export sector and continued demand from international buyers, and said it will continue to promote export diversification, market expansion, product upgrading and trade facilitation to sustain growth and achieve the country's long-term export goals.

Fazlee Shamim Ehsan, executive president of the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA), called September's export growth a positive signal. He noted that although the fuel crisis throughout August affected factory operations and most factories faced difficulties, some factories achieved unusually high export volumes thanks to their own efficiency and capabilities, which may have driven overall growth.

Mohiuddin Rubel, a former director of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), also welcomed the continued export recovery. He said it was encouraging that exports grew for a second consecutive month and that both knitwear and woven garments rebounded, but noted that much of September's 8.56% increase came from a low base—September 2025 exports were only $2.84 billion, itself a weak month. Rubel pointed out that cumulative RMG export growth rose to 6.10% as of the end of September from 5.12% at the end of August, because September's growth exceeded the July–August average, helping offset the impact of July's decline. He added that the trend is positive, but it needs to be maintained and built upon to achieve the set targets.

From an industry perspective, Bangladesh's RMG exports account for more than 80% of its total exports. The recovery in the first quarter of this fiscal year and the growth in exports to the United States provide a positive demand-side signal for suppliers taking orders from Europe and the United States and for upstream yarn and fabric exporting countries; meanwhile, the doubling of exports to Turkey and the high growth of non-RMG segments such as pharmaceuticals and leather echo the export diversification direction emphasized by the EPB.

Source: Exports grow 6.34% to $13b in Jul-Sep · Originally published 2026-10-01