Africa accounted for more than 40 percent of Bangladesh’s cotton imports in the 2024–25 marketing year, reinforcing the country’s position as the world’s largest cotton importer amid a continued recovery in garment manufacturing demand, according to the latest assessment by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
USDA reported that African suppliers provided 41% of Bangladesh’s total cotton imports during the August 2024 to July 2025 season, equivalent to over 3.3 million bales. Overall cotton imports rose by 6.2 % year on year to 8.05 million bales, reflecting renewed momentum in Bangladesh’s textile and apparel sector following pandemic-related disruptions.
With imports totalling 5.19 million bales, Bangladesh surpassed China to become the world’s largest cotton importer, narrowly ahead of Vietnam, which imported about 100,000 fewer bales during the same period. Despite being one of the world’s leading exporters of ready-made garments, Bangladesh remains highly dependent on foreign cotton supplies, importing nearly 98 % of its requirements. Domestic cotton production remains limited at around 155,000 bales annually.
Among African suppliers, Benin, Cameroon, Burkina Faso and Mali were identified as Bangladesh’s principal sources of cotton. Brazil accounted for approximately 25 % of total imports, while India supplied about 15 %, highlighting Bangladesh’s diversified sourcing strategy aimed at ensuring supply security and competitive pricing.
Looking ahead, the USDA projects that Vietnam could overtake Bangladesh as the world’s largest cotton importer in the 2025–26 season, with expected imports of around 8.1 million bales. However, Bangladesh is expected to remain a major destination for global cotton exporters due to its large and expanding textile base.
The report also pointed to Bangladesh’s strong trade exposure to the European Union, which absorbs roughly half of the country’s apparel exports and continues to offer duty-free access at least until 2029, subject to future policy decisions. This preferential access contrasts with Bangladeshi garment exports to the United States, which face tariffs of around 20 %.
At the same time, the USDA cautioned that long-term cotton supply dynamics could be influenced by industrialisation plans in West Africa. Several countries, including Benin, are seeking to expand domestic textile and apparel manufacturing. Benin, for instance, aims to process nearly all of its domestically produced cotton fibre by 2032, supported by plans to establish 28 integrated textile units in the Glo-Djigbé Industrial Zone near Cotonou.
Despite these potential shifts, the USDA expects Bangladesh to remain an attractive and growing market for cotton exporters worldwide. The country currently consumes around 8.5 million bales of cotton annually but has the capacity to absorb up to 15 million bales, supported by an industry comprising about 4,500 textile and apparel companies employing nearly 4 million workers.
In 2024–25, Bangladesh exported ready-made garments worth US$39.3 billion, including knitwear, trousers, T-shirts and underwear, underlining the continued importance of cotton as a critical raw material for the country’s export-driven apparel sector.
