Bangladesh’s ready-made garment (RMG) exports to the United States rose 11.42% year-on-year in July-August, the first two months of fiscal year 2026-27, according to data from the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB).
Shipments to the United States, Bangladesh’s largest single-country market for garments, earned $1,612.92 million in the period, up from $1,447.60 million in the same months of the previous fiscal year, the EPB data showed.
The two-month total accounted for 20.8% of the $7,744.61 million Bangladesh earned from RMG exports to the United States over all of fiscal year 2025-26.
Bangladesh earned an average of $806.46 million a month from United States-bound garment shipments in July and August, compared with a monthly average of $645.38 million across all of fiscal 2025-26, marking a 25.65% rise in the pace of earnings.
The growth was uneven across the two months. Exports slipped 0.18% year-on-year in July to $795.79 million, before rebounding sharply in August with a 25.65% jump to about $817.13 million, the EPB figures showed.
Also Read: Bangladesh U-Turns on 10-30 Count Yarn Import Curbs
Mohiuddin Rubel, a former director of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), told domestic news agency BSS that the US market’s performance would remain important for the sector as exporters sought to sustain growth amid a challenging global trading environment.
Bangladesh’s apparel industry, the backbone of its export economy, has leaned heavily on the United States even as manufacturers diversify into new markets and grapple with rising input costs. The August rebound suggests demand from American retailers remains resilient heading into the peak autumn and winter shipping season, when orders typically accelerate ahead of the holiday retail period.
Analysts say the fiscal year’s early trajectory, if sustained, could help Bangladesh extend last year’s export gains, though volatility, currency swings and shifting US trade policy could still weigh on the outlook.
Bangladesh is the world’s second-largest apparel exporter after China, and the sector accounts for more than four-fifths of the country’s total export earnings. Manufacturers have pushed into markets such as the European Union, Japan and Australia to reduce dependence on any single buyer, but the United States has continued to anchor overall demand, particularly for basics and fast-fashion categories.
EPB officials said they would keep monitoring monthly trends, with September data expected to show whether August’s rebound reflects a durable recovery in orders or a temporary catch-up after a soft start to the fiscal year.