Bangladesh's US apparel exports decline 4.57pc in Jan-Sep

Photo: AI-generated

United States apparel imports declined by 6.14 percent to $56.68 billion during the January–September period of 2026, which also affected Bangladesh exports, according to data from the Office of Textiles and Apparel (OTEXA) of the USA.

During the nine months, import volume dropped by 8.10 percent, while the average unit price registered a 2.14 percent increase.

Apparel shipments from Bangladesh to the US fell by 4.57 percent to $6.14 billion.

The data showed that Bangladesh's export volume decreased by 3.65 percent, and the average unit price dropped by 0.95 percent.

In September alone, Bangladesh's exports fell by 5.57 percent, following a rebound of 11.15 percent in August.

Because Bangladesh experienced a smaller decline than the broader market, its market share experienced a slight shift, moving from 10.99 percent to 10.83 percent.

Among other major competitors, imports from Vietnam grew by 0.26 percent, Cambodia by 6.42 percent, and Indonesia by 2.81 percent.

Conversely, imports fell significantly from China by 23.08 percent, India by 25.19 percent, and Pakistan by 3.67 percent.

Although the overall average unit price rose, prices declined for five of the seven listed Asian suppliers, led by China with a 7.66 percent drop.

Only Vietnam and Cambodia managed to increase their prices.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh is now selling its apparel at 3.5 percent below the world average, a notable change from near parity last year, according to Mohiuddin Rubel, Founder & CEO of Bangladesh Apparel Voice (BAV). -UNB