Bangladesh’s apparel exports to the United States grew by nearly 36 percent over the last decade, defying a broader decline in the overall US garment import market, a new report shows.

According to data from the Office of Textiles and Apparel (OTEXA), Bangladesh’s exports rose from $5.40 billion in 2015 to $7.34 billion in 2024, marking a 35.94 percent increase.

The growth was interrupted in 2020 when exports dropped 11.76 percent due to the COVID-19 pandemic, falling from $5.92 billion in 2019 to $5.22 billion. Since then, Bangladesh has rebounded strongly with a 40.45 percent increase, outperforming the US market’s overall apparel import growth of 23.72 percent in the same period.

In contrast, total US apparel imports fell from $85.16 billion in 2015 to $79.26 billion in 2024, reflecting a 6.94 percent decline. Imports had followed an upward trend until 2019, reaching $83.70 billion, but shrank sharply by 23.47 percent in 2020 amid the pandemic. Recovery has since been modest, with 2024 figures still below pre-pandemic and 2015 levels.

The report notes that US recessions tend to reduce consumer clothing expenditure, mirroring wider economic challenges. With nearly 95 percent of garments sold in the US being imported, the sector remains vulnerable to external shocks. High tariffs, rising freight costs, and short product life cycles continue to pose hurdles for exporters seeking to integrate into US supply chains.