Bangladesh’s apparel exports to the United States staged a strong year-on-year rebound in August 2026, even as its cumulative performance for the January–August period remained slightly down. According to data from the Office of Textiles and Apparel (OTEXA), Bangladeshi shipments surged to $734.6m in August—up from $660.9m in August 2025—marking a sharp double-digit turnaround from a persistent streak of monthly declines experienced since the start of the year.
This August surge stood out sharply against other major Asian suppliers, far outperforming modest gains from Vietnam ($1.61b, up 1.3pc and China ($1.07b, up 2.3pc, as well as contractions in Cambodia ($531.2m, down 7.8pc and India ($291.1m, down 31.5pc. Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) President Mahmud Hasan Khan attributed the boost to US buyers shifting orders away from India due to tariff uncertainties, though he noted Bangladesh faces counter-challenges in the EU market due to upcoming LDC graduation and heightened competition from India’s Free Trade Agreement negotiations with Europe.
Despite August’s impressive rally, Bangladesh's broader eight-month trajectory reflects a more reserved picture. Between January and August 2026, total Bangladeshi apparel exports to the US fell 4.17% to $5.39b, down from $5.62b during the same period in 2025.
Across the region, cumulative figures revealed a starkly split landscape: Vietnam maintained market dominance with near-flat performance at $10.98b (down under 1pc, while Cambodia was the lone supplier to achieve overall eight-month growth, rising 7.18% to $3.15b. In contrast, both India and China experienced massive double-digit cumulative slumps, with Indian shipments plummeting over 26.31% to $2.74b and Chinese exports contracting by over 29% to $5.63b.\
Financial Mirror/AH
