Bangladesh’s merchandise export earnings grew 6.34% to $13.094 billion in the first quarter, covering July through September of the current fiscal year FY27, according to the latest data released by the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB).

During the corresponding period of FY26, export earnings stood at $ 12.313 billion.

In September 2026 alone, single-month export earnings rose 8.54% year-on-year to reach $3.937 billion, marking an increase from $3.627 billion recorded in September 2025.

Readymade garments (RMG), the major driver of the country’s export earnings, maintained its leading role by earning $10.578 billion during the July–September period. This marked a 6.10% growth compared to the $9.970 billion earned during the same period of the previous fiscal year.

In September, ready-made garment (RMG) exports registered an 8.56 percent growth, reaching $3.082 billion, up from $2.839 billion in September 2025.

Within the ready-made garment sector, knitwear exports grew by 6.88% to $5.963 billion during the first quarter, while woven garment exports increased by 5.11% to $4.614 billion.

In September, knitwear and woven exports achieved year-on-year growth of 8.58% and 8.54%, respectively.

Several non-RMG sectors also exhibited strong momentum. The pharmaceutical sector recorded a remarkable 40.39% cumulative growth, achieving a notable 64.33% year-on-year growth in September.

Exports of jute and jute goods registered a cumulative growth of 31.55 percent, including a 22.72 percent increase in September. During the same periods, leather and leather products grew by a cumulative 14.74 percent, alongside a 20.19 percent increase in September.

Light engineering posted a 16.51% cumulative growth, and home textiles grew by 11.94% during the quarter.

However, agricultural products as well as frozen and live fish experienced negative growth during the three months.

The United States remained Bangladesh's largest single export market among destination countries, importing goods valued at $2.591 billion during the July–September period. This figure represents an 11.34% increase compared to the $2.327 billion recorded during the same period of the previous year.

The United Kingdom ranked second with imports totaling $1.370 billion, followed in third place by Germany with $1.218 billion.

India and Japan ranked sixth and ninth among major export destinations, respectively, both maintaining positive growth.

Among emerging markets, Türkiye recorded the highest growth among major destinations, with exports doubling by 100.11% from $105.21 million to $210.54 million during the July–September period.

The latest export performance reflects the resilience of Bangladesh’s export sector, the sustained confidence of international buyers, and the collective efforts of exporters, workers, entrepreneurs, and stakeholders, said an official of EPB.

The EPB remains committed to supporting export diversification, market expansion, product upgrading, and trade facilitation initiatives to sustain export growth and achieve the country’s long-term export objectives, he pointed out.

Why it matters

The steady growth in quarterly export earnings demonstrates the resilience of Bangladesh's external trade sector and international buyer confidence.