Bangladesh’s overseas garment shipments edged lower by 1.92% in July, the opening month of the 2026-27 financial year as per figures released by the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB).
Exports came in at US $3.89 billion, slipping from $3.96 billion recorded the previous July. Trade body BGMEA, however, characterises the dip as unremarkable, chalking it up to a high comparison base.
According to BGMEA, July 2025 delivered $3.96 billion on the back of 24.67% growth, among the strongest single-month showings the sector has ever posted.
Even so, holding shipments near the $3.9 billion mark, industry figures argue, underscores the sector’s underlying toughness.
EPB figures reveal woven garment shipments sank 3.16% year over year across July, whereas knitwear held up better, easing just 0.90%.
Separately, BGMEA’s own Utilisation Declaration figures point to a roughly 2.8% year-on-year drop in July, hinting at broader softness in trade activity.
Manufacturers point to an ongoing gas supply crunch as the sector’s foremost headache. Several factories cannot run at full capacity owing to sustained low gas pressure.
BGMEA insists the new fiscal year has opened on a reasonably solid footing. Sustaining $3.89 billion in shipments against one of the toughest year-ago comparisons on record, the body says, speaks to the sector’s staying power.
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