Bangladesh’s readymade garment exports to the European Union grew 17.87% year-on-year in the first half of 2025, reaching €10.29 billion, according to Eurostat.
Knitwear shipments surged 21.1% to €6.03 billion, while woven garment exports rose 13.6% to €4.26 billion. The growth reflects stronger EU demand for apparel, despite intensifying competition from major Asian suppliers.
China, Cambodia, and India recorded higher growth rates of 22.3%, 30.4%, and 15.4%, respectively, in apparel exports to the EU during the same period. Overall, the EU’s garment imports climbed to €43.39 billion, up from €38.64 billion in H1 2024.
Industry leaders noted that Bangladesh could have achieved higher growth if not for internal bottlenecks, including factory closures and banking challenges. Fazlul Hoque, former BKMEA president, warned that China and India are shifting focus to the EU to offset losses in the US market following new tariff measures, which could intensify competition for Bangladesh.
Turkey was the only major exporter to the EU to see a decline, with apparel shipments down 7% to €4.27 billion. Meanwhile, Bangladesh’s exports to the US also performed strongly, rising 25.13% to $4.25 billion in H1 2025.
Comment here