The Government has set an export target of US $ 63.5 billion for the 2025–26 fiscal year, with a strong focus on expanding duty-free access to key markets and securing tariff reductions in the United States.
Within the ready-made garment (RMG) sector, the Government has set a target of US $ 44.49 billion in exports. The woven category aims for US $ 20.79 billion, a 14.31% rise from last year, while the knitwear segment is projected to earn US $ 23.7 billion, reflecting a 12.01% increase.
Commerce Adviser Sheikh Bashir Uddin, speaking at a press briefing at the Secretariat on 12th August, said the target was “conservative” and that actual performance could exceed projections. He stressed that negotiations were underway to maximise preferential access in the UK and European Union and to cut the U.S. reciprocal tariff on Bangladeshi goods from 20% to 15%.
“We are working on market expansion for non-traditional products and exploring new destinations,” he said. The adviser noted that free trade agreement (FTA) talks were ongoing with Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, though he cautioned that not all terms might favour Bangladesh.
He added that discussions with the United States covered both tariff and non-tariff barriers. Bangladesh currently maintains zero tariffs on 3,800 tariff lines, including most food items. While energy imports face higher tariffs, those are handled by the Government, meaning the revenue flows directly into state coffers.
Commerce Secretary Mahbubur Rahman said of the total FY ’26 export target, US $ 55 billion is expected from goods and US $ 8.5 billion from services — representing a 16.5% increase over FY ’25 earnings. The projection takes into account global trade trends, geopolitical risks, market diversification efforts, and the previous year’s performance.
Since FY ‘2020–21, the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for goods exports has been 24.58%, while services have grown at 8.38%.
Senior officials from the commerce ministry, along with representatives from various business sectors, attended the briefing.
