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Bangladesh’s readymade garment (RMG) exports to the United States (US) posted their highest-ever monthly growth in August, rising 25.65 percent year-on-year, according to data from the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB).

Bangladesh exported garments worth more than $817 million to the US market in August of the current 2026-27 fiscal year, compared with $650.34 million in the same month of the previous fiscal year.

During July-August of FY2026-27, Bangladesh’s RMG exports to the US totalled $1.61 billion, up 11.42 percent from the corresponding period of the previous fiscal year.

The monthly average RMG export to the US during the first two months of the current fiscal year stood at $806.46 million. 

In FY2025-26, the monthly average stood at $645.38 million, calculated on the basis of the total annual export spread evenly over 12 months.

However, the stronger growth during the first two months was largely driven by the robust performance in August, when garment exports to the US increased by 25.65 percent.

The US is Bangladesh’s single largest export market for RMG. In FY2025-26, Bangladesh earned around $9.04 billion from total merchandise exports to the US, registering 4.09 percent growth over the previous fiscal year.

 Of the total, $7.74 billion came from RMG exports, while around $1.30 billion came from non-garment products.

Bangladesh’s non-RMG exports to the US include leather and leather goods, jute and jute products, home textiles, agricultural and processed food products, plastics and melamine products, textiles and yarn, pharmaceuticals, light engineering products, footwear and other industrial goods.

There is also scope to increase exports of higher-value and diversified garment products to the US market alongside expanding shipments of non-RMG products.

The Commerce Ministry has identified pharmaceuticals, leather and leather goods, agricultural products, light engineering and information and communication technology as priority sectors for expanding trade with the US.

Exporters are also seeing further potential for growth in the US market, particularly as orders for Bangladeshi apparel are expected to increase in the coming months.

Mohammad Fazlul Hoque, a leading apparel entrepreneur and administrator of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI), told BSS that Bangladesh’s exports to the US increased in August as it was the deadline for placing orders for winter apparel.

“Despite various global crises, Bangladeshi entrepreneurs have an inherent capacity to compete. This has enabled the country to increase exports to the US market even amid adverse circumstances,” he said.

He said exporters are receiving better orders from the US market for the coming months compared with previous months.

“If product diversification can be increased, Bangladesh’s exports to the US market can rise several times,” Fazlul Hoque said, stressing the need for greater product diversification.

Fazle Shamim Ehsan, executive president of the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) and managing director of Fatullah Apparels Ltd, said the global situation has created opportunities for Bangladesh to increase exports to the US market, which local entrepreneurs are seeking to utilise.

He expressed the expectation that the opportunities could be better utilised if adequate energy supplies and policy continuity are ensured.

Mahmududdin Rubel, chief executive officer (CEO) of Bangladesh Apparel Voice, told BSS that the current pace of RMG exports to the US is highly encouraging.

“If the current pace continues over the next 12 months, Bangladesh’s RMG export earnings from the US could reach $9 billion in FY2026-27,” he said.

He said the US is Bangladesh’s largest single export market, making product diversification, higher value addition and quality improvement increasingly important for expanding exports there.

He also stressed ensuring energy and other utility services to fully capitalise on the potential of the US apparel market.

Alongside RMG, expanding exports of leather, jute, home textiles, agricultural and processed food products, pharmaceuticals, plastics and light engineering products could help diversify Bangladesh’s overall exports to the US.

Bangladesh earned around $48 billion from total merchandise exports in FY2025-26, with the US accounting for around $9.04 billion as the country’s largest single export destination.

The strong growth in RMG exports to the US at the beginning of the current fiscal year, including the record 25.65 percent year-on-year growth in August, has put renewed focus on Bangladesh’s export potential in the US market.