Bangladesh’s shift towards non-cotton apparel has remained slow, with the country’s non-cotton export share rising only to 27.3 per cent in 2025, while the global share climbed to 58.4 per cent.
The gap between Bangladesh’s non-cotton share and the global share widened from 28.3 percentage points in 2021 to 31.1 points in 2025, according to Export Promotion Bureau and International Trade Centre data analysed by Bangladesh Apparel Voice.
The data show that cotton’s global share declined from 44.9 per cent in 2021 to 41.6 per cent in 2025. In Bangladesh, cotton garments still represented 72.7 per cent of apparel exports in 2025, down marginally from 73.2 per cent five years earlier.
Bangladesh’s reliance on cotton remained broadly unchanged between 2021 and 2025. Cotton garments’ share rose to 74.4 per cent in 2023 before declining slightly over the following two years, indicating little progress in export diversification.
By comparison, man-made fibres account for around 49 per cent of apparel exports from China and Vietnam, while shares are in the mid-40 per cent range in Cambodia and Indonesia.
Founder and CEO of Bangladesh Apparel Voice Mohiuddin Rubel attributed the dependence on cotton to the industry’s historical development.
He told TIMES of Bangladesh that when Bangladesh’s apparel industry began, global demand for man-made fibre and other non-cotton garments was much lower than it is today. The country entered the global market with relatively simple, low-priced cotton products, leading its backward-linkage industries, technology and infrastructure to develop largely around cotton.
Rubel said competitors had progressed through substantial investment in technology and non-cotton manufacturing infrastructure, while Bangladesh lacked suitable technology, technical expertise and skilled workers.
Some manufacturers have begun adjusting their portfolios. Managing director of Nine Star Apparels Ltd Mohammad Mahashin Apu told TIMES his company had converted around 20 per cent of its production to non-cotton garments over the past three years despite being a cotton-based factory.
However, inadequate domestic backward-linkage capacity has made the transition costly.
“Bangladesh has yet to develop sufficient weaving, dyeing and finishing capacity for non-cotton fabrics. As a result, we import nearly 90 per cent of the raw materials needed for our non-cotton products from China,” Apu said.
He said import dependence increased production costs and lead times while creating supply-chain uncertainty.
Higher-value categories, including activewear, performance apparel and technical outerwear, increasingly use man-made fibres and other non-cotton materials. Entering these markets requires specialised fabrics, modern machinery, skilled workers and reliable energy supplies.
Executive president of the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association and managing director of Fatullah Apparels Ltd Fazlee Shamim Ehsan told TIMES “Bangladesh’s domestic market is relatively small. Under the current gas and electricity situation, it is difficult to compete in raw-material production with large manufacturers such as China and India.”
Ehsan said producing every type of non-cotton raw material domestically would be impractical. Bangladesh could instead import competitively priced inputs from China and India and manufacture higher-value garments locally.
He called for rational import duties and simpler customs, port and regulatory procedures for non-cotton raw materials.
Energy shortages remain another major barrier, as man-made fibre-based textile processing requires substantial and uninterrupted gas and electricity. Rubel said unreliable utilities were discouraging long-term investment because manufacturers could not be certain about stable gas supply and pressure.
He also called for a change in entrepreneurial outlook, saying manufacturers in China and Vietnam regularly studied global trends, emerging technologies and changing buyer preferences.
Warning that Bangladesh’s global position could face significant risks over the next decade, Rubel urged greater investment in technology, technical knowledge, workforce development and utility infrastructure.
He recommended bringing foreign technology and expertise through foreign direct investment and joint ventures, while using international specialists to develop local skills.
“The transition cannot be achieved by an individual factory or company. The government, factory owners and relevant trade bodies must work together,” Rubel said.
