Amid an overall decline in cargo handling, Chattogram Port saw imports weaken and exports recover in April, signalling a shifting but uneven trade cycle at the country’s main seaport.
Total cargo handling dropped 4.01 per cent to 11.01 million tonnes in April, from 11.47 million tonnes in March, reflecting slower overall activity.
Import cargo declined 4.50 per cent to 10.37 million tonnes, from 10.86 million tonnes, extending the weakness in inbound shipments.
Export cargo rose 4.63 per cent to 6,37,019 tonnes, from 6,08,838 tonnes, marking a recovery after two months of contraction.
The contraction had already eased in March, when export cargo slipped 0.17 per cent, or 1,038 tonnes, from February.
The April increase returned export cargo to a growth path, indicating improved export activity and throughput at the port.
Container operations showed a similar divergence.
Import containers fell 2.10 per cent to 149,536 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), from 152,748 TEUs.
Export containers rose 6.31 per cent to 125,688 TEUs, from 118,232 TEUs.
Total container handling increased 1.56 per cent to 275,224 TEUs, from 270,980 TEUs.
Shipping activity weakened further, with vessel calls falling 5.13 per cent to 333 in April, from 351 in March.
The figure was also down 15.27 per cent from 393 in January, pointing to a gradual easing in port throughput.
External demand indicators strengthened alongside the volume recovery.
Export earnings rose 32.92 per cent year-on-year to $4 billion in April, from $3 billion, according to Export Promotion Bureau data.
“Export performance has regained momentum after several months of slowdown,” said Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association Vice President Mohammad Rafique Chowdhury.
“After nearly eight months of subdued growth, the sector has started to recover,” he added.
He said export growth likely to slow over the next one to two months due to seasonal and global demand factors.
“Export volumes should improve again from August or September,” he added.
Revenue collection reflected the divergence in trade volumes.
Chattogram Custom House collected Tk7,580 crore against a Tk9,367 crore target in April, leaving a shortfall of Tk1,787 crore, or 19 per cent. The collection rose 2.67 per cent from Tk7,382.65 crore a year earlier.
In July–April of FY2025–26, revenue increased 7.81 per cent to Tk66,062.37 crore, from Tk61,276.96 crore in the same period last year.
The figure remained Tk15,951.63 crore below the Tk82,014 crore target, a deficit of 19.45 per cent.
The April revenue data suggest a trade environment driven by import compression and seasonal adjustment rather than broad-based expansion.
Post-Ramadan demand normalisation, fluctuating import valuation, and changes in duty structure weighed on customs revenue even as export flows stabilised.
The widening gap between weak imports and recovering exports points to a transitional phase in Bangladesh’s trade dynamics, where export momentum is returning but subdued imports continue to limit revenue growth and overall performance.
