Bangladesh's merchandise exports have been on the decline for five consecutive months to December when the dip was the deepest at 14.25 per cent year on year in terms of earning.
The sharp decline in December 2025, by official count, also put the overall export growth in negative territory during the first half or July-December period of the current fiscal year of 2025-26.The scale was weighed down by a negative growth in export of readymade garments (RMG)--the country's largest foreign-currency earner--alongside declines in agricultural products and several non-traditional export sectors.
The fall was caused by a negative growth of readymade garment (RMG) exports, the country's largest foreign currency earner, alongside declines in agricultural products and several non-traditional export sectors.
Bangladesh received U$3.96 billion from exports last month, which was $4.62 billion in December 2024, according to the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) data released Sunday.
Exports started witnessing year-on-year negative growth in August 2025 when the country recorded a 2.93-percent fall.
This was followed by a decline of 4.61 per cent, 7.43 per cent and 5.58 per cent in September, October and November, respectively.
Of the total December earnings, RMG fetched $3.23 billion, logging a 14.23-percent negative growth compared to that in the same month of 2024, the EPB data revealed.
The overall exports, however, stood at $23.99 billion during the July-December period of FY26, reflecting 2.19-percent year-on-year negative growth.
Bangladesh earned $24.53 billion in the first half of the fiscal year 2024-25.
As usual, RMG maintained its lead, contributing $19.88 billion, in 2.63-percent negative growth, to the total export earnings during the first six months of the current fiscal year.
Within this segment, knitwear exports fell 3.22 per cent to $10.83 billion, while that of woven garments declined by 1.91 per cent to $9.05 billion.
Sources say while the strong performance in July reflects resilience, the slowdown since August highlights challenges for Bangladesh's export sector amid fluctuating global demand and evolving market dynamics.
Munni_fe@yahoo.com
