Bangladesh’s ready-made garment (RMG) exports to the United States rose 11.42 per cent year-on-year in the first two months of fiscal year 2026-27, reaching $1.61 billion, as August shipments recorded a sharp increase.
According to the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB), exports during July-August were up from $1.45 billion in the same period of the previous fiscal year.
The two-month earnings already represent 20.8 per cent of Bangladesh’s total RMG exports to the US in fiscal year 2025-26, when shipments reached $7.74 billion.
The US remained Bangladesh’s largest single-country apparel market during the period, with average monthly exports rising to $806.46 million in the first two months of the current fiscal year, compared with $645.38 million based on last year’s full-year performance.
The growth, however, was uneven.
US-bound RMG exports declined 0.18 per cent year-on-year in July to $795.79 million before jumping 25.65 per cent in August to $817.13 million.
Mohiuddin Rubel, founder and CEO of Bangladesh Apparel Voice, said if the current 11.42 per cent growth rate continues throughout the fiscal year, Bangladesh’s RMG exports to the US could reach around $8.63 billion, compared with $7.74 billion in fiscal year 2025-26.
He said the US market would remain important for Bangladesh’s apparel sector as exporters seek to sustain growth amid a challenging global trading environment.
Rubel, also a former director of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, said the current monthly average export earnings were running ahead of last fiscal year’s full-year average.
The increase was largely driven by August’s strong performance, he added.
