Export earnings exceeded $17 billion in four months, with 6% growth.

Bangla Press Desk: In the first four months (July–October) of the current 2026–27 fiscal year, the country’s earnings from merchandise exports reached $17.04 billion. During the same period in the previous fiscal year, these earnings stood at $16.08 billion—an increase of $960 million, or 6 percent.

According to Bangladesh Bank data, the ready-made garment (RMG) sector was the primary driver of this growth. During the period under review, exports of knitwear rose by 7 percent to $7.71 billion, while exports of woven garments increased by 4.8 percent to $6 billion.

Together, these two segments accounted for approximately 80.4 percent of total merchandise exports, with the RMG sector contributing about 81 percent of the overall growth in export earnings.

However, export growth was not solely dependent on the RMG sector; several non-garment sectors also experienced significant gains. Exports of jute and jute products grew by 23.8 percent, reaching $383 million. Exports of leather and leather goods rose by 12.7 percent to $464 million, while exports of chemical products increased by 27.3 percent to $157 million.

Additionally, exports of home textiles and footwear saw growth rates of 7.4 percent and 9.7 percent, respectively.

Conversely, during the same period, exports of agricultural products declined by 13.5 percent, frozen and live fish by 10.9 percent, and cotton and cotton-based products by 10.2 percent.

Overall, the 6 percent growth in export earnings signals positive progress for the country’s export sector. In particular, the growth in non-garment sectors—such as jute, leather, and chemicals—highlights the potential for greater diversification in the country’s export basket. To sustain this growth trend, it is essential to focus on improving product quality, enhancing production capacity, and increasing competitiveness in the international market, while also exploring new markets and addressing the obstacles faced by lagging sectors.