Bangladesh鈥檚 merchandise exports recorded an 8.58 per cent growth year-on-year in the financial year 2024-25, reaching $48.28 billion, according to the latest data released by the Export Promotion Bureau.
In FY 2023-24, the country earned $44.46 billion from exports.
During FY25, the country addressed several challenges, including regime change, a shaken law-and-order situation, a series of workers鈥� protests, hundreds of incidents of pause in manufacturing operations, and concerns about US tariffs.
However, defying all challenges, the country鈥檚 export earnings posted a robust growth in the FY25.
The robust export performance was largely driven by the apparel sector 鈥� the country鈥檚 largest foreign exchange earner, which posted an 8.84 per cent growth to $39.35 billion in FY25, compared with $36.15 billion in the previous fiscal year.
Readymade garments (RMG) accounted for over 81 per cent of the total export receipts, reaffirming the sector鈥檚 pivotal role in the national economy.
Within the RMG segment, knitwear generated $21.16 billion, while woven garments earned $18.19 billion, according to EPB data.
The state agency provided this data, reflecting real-time shipment updates as per Asycuda World and the National Board of Revenue.
However, the single-month export earnings for June of FY25 experienced a negative growth of 7.55 per cent to $3.33 billion, compared with $3.55 billion in June 2024, according to the EPB data.
Industry insiders said that exports declined in June due to the extended Eid-ul-Adha holidays and a disruption in ports and customs houses due to protests of the NBR officials, including a two-day complete shutdown.
They attributed the overall export growth to steady demand in key markets, diversification of product offerings, improvements in workplace compliance, and investment in automation and green manufacturing.
However, exporters warned that sustaining the current momentum would require proactive government support amid growing global competition, volatile raw material prices, and logistical challenges, especially in Chattogram port operations.
Among the other notable products, home textiles posted a positive growth of 2.42 per cent to $871.57 million in FY25, up from $851.01 million in FY24.
The EPB data also stated that in FY25, the agricultural sector earned $988.62 million, which is a 2.52 per cent increase from $964.34 million in FY24.
Export earnings from leather and leather goods increased by 10.19 per cent to $1.14 billion, which was $1.03 billion in FY24.
In FY25, engineering product exports grew by 10.03 per cent to $535.56 million, up from $486.75 million in FY24.
However, export earnings from jute and jute goods experienced a negative growth of 4.10 per cent to 820.16 million in FY25, which was $855.23 million in FY24.
Mahmud Hasan Khan, president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, said the growth is encouraging but cautioned that the sector is facing pressure from declining unit prices and rising production costs.
鈥極ur export volume has increased, but price erosion is hurting profitability. We need to focus more on high-value products and new market penetration,鈥� he added.
Meanwhile, exports of non-RMG products also showed modest improvement.
Home textiles, leather and leather goods, jute and jute goods, and agricultural products contributed to the export basket, though many sectors fell short of their annual targets.
Exporters also expressed concern over disruptions caused by energy shortages and ongoing geopolitical tensions, especially in shipping routes.
Analysts said that timely policy interventions, improvements in trade infrastructure, market and product diversification, and stronger export market negotiations would be crucial to meeting the $100 billion export target in the near future.
Speaking to 抖阴精品, Professor Mustafizur Rahman, a distinguished fellow of the Centre for Policy Dialogue, said that the export earnings soared solely ride on RMG items.
鈥楬owever, though overall export in FY25 increased, the export in June decreased. Moreover, the export was mostly volume driven, not value driven,鈥� he added.
He also said that Bangladesh has to focus on upscaling in product manufacturing to sustain the growth, along with local value addition.
鈥業t is also important to focus on intra-RMG diversification, like focusing on manufacturing manmade fibre-based products, and market and product diversification,鈥� he added.
He also said that it is high time to focus on graduation from the least developed country status, Trump鈥檚 tariff, and a silent trade war with India, he added.