In the first half of the current year, Bangladesh apparel exports saw a stellar growth. The country’s total apparel exports to the EU registered growth in volume by 10.41 per cent to 542.64 million kg as against 491.48 million kg in the same period last year. Growth was seen in the woven garments segment as well with 10.22 per cent increase in volumes, while in knitted garments the increase in volumes was 10.52 per cent.
Additionally, despite declining US apparel imports, Bangladesh’s exports to the country in the reporting period saw a rise in volume by 4.26 per cent to 973.11 million sq. mt. versus 933.39 million sq. mt. in the prior year’s first six months. It may be mentioned here that garment import by the US dropped (-) 6.25 per cent year-on-year to US $ 80 billion between the months of January and September. However, Bangladesh exported US $ 4.32 billion worth of garment items to the US in that period, up 0.32 per cent year-on-year.
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Bangladesh also saw an increase of 35.58 per cent in the volume of exports to Japan in the first six months, while values increased by 17 per cent. In the same period, apparel exports to Canada registered 8.76 per cent increase in value terms.
Furthermore, in the first nine months of the current year apparel exports from China, the largest garment exporter to the US, declined (-) 10.97 per cent to US $ 29.42 billion; from India by (-) 0.77 per cent to US $ 5.57 billion; from Pakistan by (-) 10.44 per cent to US $ 2.05 billion; and Mexico by (-) 5.53 per cent to US $ 3.32 billion.