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Bangladesh’s merchandise exports rebounded strongly in June, rising 25.91 percent year-on-year to close fiscal year 2025-26 on a positive note, although total annual export earnings remained broadly unchanged at around $48 billion amid a challenging global economic environment.
According to provisional data released by the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) on Thursday, the country earned $4.20 billion from merchandise exports in June 2026, up from $3.34 billion in the same month last year.
The sharp increase was driven by robust growth across major export sectors, including ready-made garments (RMG), leather and leather products, jute and jute goods, home textiles, engineering products and agricultural commodities.
Despite the strong June performance, Bangladesh’s total merchandise exports for fiscal year 2025-26 (July-June) stood at $48.00 billion, compared with $48.28 billion in the previous fiscal year.
The EPB said maintaining export earnings close to last year’s level despite geopolitical tensions, persistent inflation, supply chain disruptions, energy price volatility and weaker consumer demand in key global markets reflects the resilience and adaptability of Bangladesh’s export sector.
The ready-made garment industry, which accounts for more than four-fifths of the country’s export earnings, recorded a 21.52 percent year-on-year increase in June, earning $3.39 billion, up from $2.79 billion a year earlier.
During the month, knitwear exports rose 19.49 percent, while woven garment shipments increased by 24.02 percent. Overall, the RMG sector generated $38.70 billion in export earnings during FY26.
Several other sectors also registered impressive growth.
Exports of leather and leather products increased by 47.68 percent in June and 7.09 percent over the fiscal year, reaching $1.23 billion.
Jute and jute products posted one of the strongest performances, surging 76.60 percent in June and growing 7.75 percent over the year to $883.69 million.
Home textile exports rose 59.95 percent during June and 6.52 percent for the fiscal year, while engineering products expanded by 44.74 percent in June and 21.77 percent over FY26.
Agricultural product exports also climbed 46.77 percent during the month, reflecting sustained overseas demand for Bangladeshi agro-based products.
The United States remained Bangladesh’s largest single-country export destination, with shipments worth $9.05 billion during FY26, representing a 4.09 percent increase over the previous fiscal year.
Germany and the United Kingdom retained their positions as the country’s second and third largest export markets, respectively, both registering continued positive growth.
According to the EPB, all of Bangladesh’s top 20 export destinations recorded year-on-year growth in June, signalling a broad-based recovery in external demand and continued progress in market diversification.
The bureau expressed optimism that the strong momentum witnessed in June, coupled with ongoing efforts to diversify products and export destinations, would provide a solid foundation for higher export growth in fiscal year 2026-27 and support Bangladesh’s long-term economic development.