Bangladesh’s export map shifted noticeably in fiscal 2025-26 as faster growth in China, Saudi Arabia and several emerging markets helped offset weaker demand from some of its largest European buyers, limiting the country’s overall export decline to 0.58 per cent.
Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) data showed merchandise exports slipped to $48.00 billion in the year ended June from $48.28 billion a year earlier, as gains in the United States and a number of non-traditional markets were outweighed by lower shipments to Germany, France, Italy and several other European destinations.
The United States remained Bangladesh’s largest export market, with shipments rising 4.09 per cent to $9.05 billion.
Among the country’s top 20 destinations, China posted the strongest annual growth, with exports jumping 18.24 per cent to $821.17 million. Saudi Arabia followed with a 17.10 per cent increase to $342.66 million, while exports to Poland rose 9.58 per cent to $2.00 billion and the United Arab Emirates increased 9.41 per cent to $384.26 million.
Spain recorded a 6.74 per cent rise to $3.79 billion, followed by the Netherlands, up 4.90 per cent to $2.47 billion, Canada, up 4.08 per cent to $1.52 billion, Great Britain, up 1.03 per cent to $4.67 billion, and Sweden, up 0.77 per cent to $817.39 million.
The gains contrasted with broad-based weakness across several established European markets.
Exports to Germany, Bangladesh’s second-largest overseas market, fell 10.81 per cent to $4.72 billion. Shipments to Denmark declined 9.62 per cent to $972.98 million, France dropped 9.22 per cent to $2.19 billion, South Korea fell 9.02 per cent to $421.06 million, Australia declined 7.48 per cent to $839.33 million and Italy dropped 7.25 per cent to $1.54 billion.
Exports to Turkey fell 6.55 per cent to $592.96 million, Belgium declined 6.06 per cent to $683.97 million and Japan slipped 3.65 per cent to $1.36 billion, while shipments to neighbouring India edged down 1.02 per cent to $1.75 billion.
The top 20 destinations together accounted for $40.95 billion of Bangladesh’s merchandise exports during the fiscal year, down 0.18 per cent from $41.02 billion a year earlier. Exports to all other destinations fell 2.85 per cent to $7.06 billion.
The annual figures masked a sharp recovery at the end of the fiscal year.
June exports surged 25.91 per cent year on year to $4.20 billion, with all of Bangladesh’s top 20 markets recording annual growth during the month.
The strongest June increase came from the United Arab Emirates, where exports more than doubled, rising 126.85 per cent. Shipments to Turkey climbed 97.00 per cent, Saudi Arabia 70.47 per cent, China 48.16 per cent and the United States 40.88 per cent.
Exports also rose 39.28 per cent to Sweden, 39.18 per cent to India, 33.10 per cent to Spain, 31.23 per cent to Japan, 31.04 per cent to Poland and 29.57 per cent to the Netherlands.
The broad-based June rebound helped cushion Bangladesh’s export performance after a difficult year marked by weaker demand in several key European markets, providing momentum for the start of the 2026-27 fiscal year.
