Bangladesh’s merchandise export earnings grew by 11.68% to $28.97 billion in the first seven months of the 2024-25 fiscal year, despite a slowdown in January, according to data from the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB).

The July-January earnings surpassed last year’s $25.94 billion for the same period. In January 2025, export earnings rose by 5.70% year-on-year, reaching $4.44 billion, up from $4.2 billion in January 2024.

The readymade garment (RMG) sector remained the dominant export contributor, recording 12% growth with $23.55 billion earned during the period. The knitwear subsector saw a 12.03% rise to $12.68 billion, while woven garments grew 11.97% to $10.86 billion. January 2025 RMG exports totaled $3.66 billion, reflecting 5.57% growth.

Other sectors also saw mixed performance:

• Home textiles: $493.86 million (6.22% growth)
• Leather and leather goods: $669.03 million (8.08% growth)
• Pharmaceuticals: $132.44 million (11.29% growth)
• Frozen and live fish: $283.54 million (13.19% growth)
• Agricultural products: $673.84 million (10.59% growth)
• Engineering products: $293.47 million (9.03% growth)
• Jute and jute goods: $484.31 million (8.35% decline)

Mohiuddin Rubel, a former BGMEA director, noted that despite strong overall growth, challenges remain, including pricing pressures and operational costs. He pointed out that January’s slower growth followed four months of double-digit expansion.