Bangladesh’s export earnings, a key source of foreign currency, continue to face challenges, recording a decline for the fourth consecutive month. According to the latest data released by the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) on Thursday (December 4), the country exported $3.89 billion worth of goods in November, marking a 5.54 percent decrease compared to the same period last year.
Five-Month Export Performance
The negative trend in recent months has significantly hampered the overall growth rate for the current fiscal year (FY 2025-26).
-
FY 2025-26 (July-November): Total merchandise exports reached $20.03 billion.
-
Overall Growth: This figure is only 0.62 percent higher than the $19.91 billion exported in the first five months of the previous fiscal year.
-
Month-by-Month Trend: Following a robust 25 percent growth in July, export growth has continuously slowed and turned negative:
-
August: $\downarrow 2.93\%$
-
September: $\downarrow 4.61\%$
-
October: $\downarrow 7.43\%$
-
November: $\downarrow 5.54\%$
-
Garment Sector Pulls Down Overall Exports
The primary factor driving the overall negative trend is the slowdown in the Ready-Made Garment (RMG) sector, which accounts for over 80 percent of the country’s total exports.
| Sector | November 2025 Export (USD) | November Y-o-Y Change | July-November Y-o-Y Growth |
| RMG | $3.14 Billion | $\downarrow 5.00\%$ | $\uparrow 0.09\%$ |
| Leather & Leather Goods | N/A | $\uparrow$ (Trend) | $\uparrow 9.88\%$ |
| Agro-Processed Products | N/A | $\downarrow$ (Trend) | $\downarrow 6.81\%$ |
| Jute & Jute Products | $68.9$ Million | $\uparrow$ (Trend) | $\uparrow 1.36\%$ |
-
RMG Slowdown: After an excellent start in July, with a $3.96 billion export and 24.5 percent growth, the garment sector has seen its exports decline for four consecutive months. The $3.14 billion in November exports represents a 5 percent decrease from November last year.
-
Five-Month RMG: Despite the recent slump, RMG exports for the first five months stand at $16.13 billion, a marginal 0.09 percent increase over the same period last year ($16.12 billion).
Performance of Other Key Sectors
While RMG is struggling, some smaller sectors are holding steady or showing growth:
-
Leather and Leather Goods: This is currently the country’s second-largest export sector. Exports in July-November reached $510 million, showing a strong 9.88 percent growth over the previous year.
-
Agro-Processed Products: The third-largest sector exported $460 million in the first five months, but this was a decline of 6.81 percent.
-
Jute and Jute Products: The sector is maintaining a positive trend, exporting $346.3 million in July-November, marking a 1.36 percent increase.
Overall, the EPB data indicates that export earnings for knitwear, woven garments, jute and jute products, agro-processed goods, frozen shrimp, plastics, and home textiles all saw a decline in November. However, exports of leather and leather goods, non-leather footwear, pharmaceuticals, and engineering products registered growth.
