Bangladesh witnessed significant import growth in 2025, with 14.72 crore tonnes of goods purchased from abroad for a total of about Tk7.9 lakh crore.
This surge in trade generated around Tk1.07 lakh crore in revenue for the National Board of Revenue (NBR), reflecting steady progress in the country’s trade and revenue performance.
In 2024, a total of 13.19 crore tonnes of goods worth Tk6.40 lakh crore were imported, generating Tk1 lakh crore for the NBR.
The year-on-year growth in 2025 was notable, with the import volume rising by 11.6 per cent, import value surging 23.44 per cent, and revenue collection increasing 7 per cent.
According to the NBR, the top revenue-generating products in 2025 included diesel, sugarcane, furnace oil, palm oil, petroleum, cement clinker, apples, oranges, stone, and crude oil. Each of these 12 products contributed more than Tk 1,000 crore in revenue.
High-speed diesel emerged as the top contributor, with about 33.49 lakh tons imported for Tk28,970 crore, generating Tk7,175 crore in revenue.
Other major products such as furnace oil, palm oil, and petroleum also made significant contributions, reflecting the country’s reliance on energy imports.
Meanwhile, bulk commodities dominated in terms of volume. Coal imports totalled about 2.1 crore tonnes at a cost of Tk30,102 crore, generating Tk2,242 crore in revenue.
Broken or crushed stone imports reached 1.84 crore tonnes at Tk4,624 crore, earning Tk1,798 crore in revenue.
Cement clinker imports also recorded substantial volumes, underscoring ongoing the growth of construction and industrial activity in the country.
Industry people noted that imports typically increase by around 10 per cent annually driven by growing demand for consumer goods, industrial raw materials, and construction inputs.
They said the import performance in 2025 reflects normal growth trends for the sector.
Amirul Haque, chairman of Sicom Group, said imports of construction materials, LPG and consumer products have shown consistent growth.
He highlighted that essential items, including sugar, edible oil and other food products, saw increased imports ahead of Ramadan.
He also noted that the process of opening letters of credit (LCs) has largely returned to normal, contributing to the steady growth of imports across multiple sectors.
Chattogram Custom House, the country’s largest customs station, remained the top contributor in both import volume and revenue collection.
Responsible for handling goods moving through Chattogram port and Chattogram airport, it accounted for 67.09 per cent of the country’s total import value and 68.55 per cennt of the total import volume.
It also contributed 73.35 per cent of the total import-related revenue to the NBR.
In 2025, Chattogram Custom House processed 10.09 crore tonnes of goods worth about Tk5.29 lakh crore, collecting Tk78,482 crore in revenue.
In 2024, the figures were 9.08 crore tonnes of goods valued at Tk4.83 lakh crore, generating Tk70,768 crore in revenue.
The year-on-year growth in 2025 stood at 11.12 per cent in import volume, 9.59 per cent in import value, and 10.90 per cent in revenue collection.
Economists and port officials highlighted that the capacity of Chattogram port as the country’s main seaport, its advanced container and goods-handling infrastructure, and concentration of import-dependent industries in Chattogram make Chattogram Custom House the primary engine for revenue collection.
Notably, around 92 per cent of Bangladesh’s import and export activities come through Chattogram port.
Sharif Mohammad Al Amin, assistant commissioner and spokesperson of Chattogram customs, said the Audit Investigation and Research Unit plays a crucial role in monitoring high-revenue imports to prevent evasion.
“This proactive monitoring has had a positive impact on revenue collection,” he added.
He also noted that imports of consumer goods typically rise before major events like Ramadan and are expected to increase further after the February elections.
These trends suggest that Chattogram customs is on track to meet its revenue target of Tk1.03 lakh crore for fiscal year 2025–26, reinforcing its central role in the trade and revenue system.
