Spain generated almost all the growth in Bangladesh’s garment exports to the European Union in the first four months of fiscal 2026-27, highlighting the country’s growing dependence on a single major market as shipments to Germany stagnated and exports to France declined.
Bangladesh’s ready-made garment (RMG) exports to the EU rose 2.79 per cent to $6.43 billion in July–October, from $6.26 billion in the same period a year earlier, according to Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) data compiled by Bangladesh Apparel Voice (BAV).
Exports to Spain increased 13.36 per cent to $1.448 billion, adding $170.6 million to the total. That represented almost 98 per cent of the EU-wide increase of $174.5 million.
Spain also overtook Germany to become Bangladesh’s largest EU garment market during the four-month period. It accounted for 22.51 per cent of the bloc’s imports from Bangladesh, compared with Germany’s 22.37 per cent share.
Shipments to Germany were virtually flat at $1.439 billion, rising just 0.01 per cent. The Netherlands offered another source of growth, with exports increasing 8.68 per cent to $784.6 million, while Poland recorded a 2.85 per cent rise to $545.9 million.
France moved in the opposite direction. Bangladesh’s garment exports to the country fell 7.87 per cent to $611.1 million. Shipments to the remaining EU markets combined also declined, dropping 1.34 per cent to $1.60 billion.
The five largest destinations – Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, France and Poland – accounted for 75.1 per cent of Bangladesh’s total garment exports to the EU in July–October.
Without the increase in Spain, exports to the bloc would have risen by only about $3.9 million over the previous year’s level, leaving growth virtually flat.
The pace of growth remained subdued in October, when Bangladesh’s total exports to the EU rose 1.10 per cent year on year to $1.53 billion.
Germany was the largest single destination that month, with exports reaching $315.7 million, up 0.59 per cent. Spain followed at $299.2 million, recording growth of 11.95 per cent.
Exports to the Netherlands rose 7.62 per cent to $187.1 million. In contrast, shipments to France fell 15.22 per cent to $161.7 million, while those to Poland declined 4.49 per cent to $144 million.
The October figures reinforce the contrast between Spain’s performance and the weaker results in several other leading markets.
Germany remained almost unchanged, while France recorded declines both over the four-month period and in October alone.
