The country鈥檚 readymade garment exports to the United States, Bangladesh鈥檚 single largest export destination, witnessed a growth of 26.66 per cent in January-March period of 2025 to $2.22 billion, amid fears of tariffs imposed by the US.
According to the latest data published by the Office of Textiles and Apparel, Bangladeshi exporters exported RMG items worth $1.55 billion in the corresponding period of 2024.
During the first quarter of 2025, Bangladesh outpaced its major competitors in terms of export growth rates.
In the first three months of 2025, the North American country鈥檚 RMG imports from its global suppliers increased by 10.96 per cent to $20.04 billion, compared with those of $18.06 billion in the same period of 2024.
In terms of volume, Bangladeshi RMG exports to the US in January-March of 2025 saw a positive growth of 25.24 per cent to 733.99 million square metres from that of 586.04 million square metre in the same period of 2024, Otexa data stated.
Bangladesh鈥檚 market share in the North American country stood at 9.61 per cent in the first quarter of 2025.
According to the Otexa data, amid the ongoing trade war between the US and China, Vietnam outperformed China as the highest exporter to the US in the first quarter of 2025, while China slipped to the second place.
Among the major suppliers, US apparel imports from Vietnam experienced a positive growth of 13.98 per cent to $3.88 billion in January-March, from that of $3.4 billion in 2024. Vietnam held a market share of 19.2 per cent.
The Otexa data stated that China exported apparel items worth $3.60 billion in the reporting period, a positive growth of 4.11 per cent from that of $3.45 billion in the same period of 2024, claiming a market share of 20.50 per cent.
Followed by Bangladesh, India secured the fourth position by exporting apparel items worth $1.51 billion in January-March of 2025, registering a positive growth of 24.04 per cent compared with that of $1.22 billion in the same period of 2024, with a market share of 6.13 per cent in the US.
According to the data, the US鈥� RMG imports from Indonesia surged by 20 per cent to $1.23 billion. In comparison, RMG imports from Cambodia increased by 14.70 per cent to $927.09 million in the same period. This made Indonesia and Cambodia hold the fifth and sixth place respectively with a market share of 5.48 per cent and 4.83 per cent.
However, the country鈥檚 RMG manufacturers are still concerned about the US鈥� 37 per cent tariff imposition on all Bangladeshi exporting products, though it has been paused for 90 days.
They said that the 90-day pause was not a permanent or sustainable solution and the government should take immediate action through diplomatic channels to resolve the issue before 90 days.
Mohammad Hatem, president of the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association, said that the country must narrow trade imbalance to protect exporters from the US tariff.
However, he said, the abnormal imposition of tariffs on Chinese products accelerated the shifting of work orders to Bangladesh, impacting US exports.
Mohiuddin Rubel, a former Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association director, said that China鈥檚 export growth to the US lagged behind during the period and Bangladesh might have captured a share of China鈥檚 declining orders.
He, however, said that the impacts of the new US trade policies were yet to unfold and urged the government to take proper actions.
According to the Otexa data, Bangladesh鈥檚 apparel exports to the US in 2024 saw a marginal 0.75 per cent growth to reach $7.34 billion compared with those of $7.29 billion in 2023 amid fluctuations in shipments throughout the year.
