Written by The Banking Post
Bangladesh’s readymade garment (RMG) exports to the United States recorded the strongest growth among major competing countries in the first nine months of 2025, defying global trade uncertainties and rising tariff pressures.
Official data from the US Office of Textiles and Apparel (OTEXA) show that Bangladesh exported apparel worth $6.42 billion to the US between January and September, marking a year-on-year growth of 18.64%, up from $5.41 billion in the same period of 2024. Growth was registered in both value and volume terms.
The expansion far exceeded the global average growth of 1.74% and placed Bangladesh ahead of nearly all major competitors. Only Cambodia posted a higher growth rate, while Vietnam emerged as the largest apparel exporter to the US, pushing China to second place.
During the nine-month period, Bangladesh shipped 2.07 billion square metres of garments to the US, about 19% higher than the 1.73 billion square metres exported a year earlier.
Overall US apparel imports rose modestly to $60.34 billion, compared with $59.31 billion in the corresponding period of last year. Vietnam led the market with exports worth $12.74 billion, posting 13.69% growth. China’s shipments fell sharply by 29.89% year-on-year to $8.78 billion, reflecting the impact of higher tariffs and geopolitical tensions.
Exporters, however, cautioned that the full effect of newly imposed US reciprocal tariffs is yet to be reflected in the data. OTEXA figures for September largely capture shipments made before or shortly after the tariffs took effect in early August.
Industry representatives noted that it may take another two months for the real impact to appear in official US data. Meanwhile, figures from Bangladesh’s Export Promotion Bureau suggest that overall RMG exports have already shown signs of slowing since August.
Despite the uncertainty, industry leaders remain cautiously optimistic. They say buyer confidence could improve if political stability strengthens and a clear election roadmap emerges, potentially allowing Bangladesh to attract work orders shifting away from China.
At the same time, exporters flagged growing competitive pressure in the European Union, where China has been aggressively offering lower prices to offset losses in the US market.
Among other competitors, India’s apparel exports to the US rose 12.81% to $4.10 billion, Indonesia’s grew 13.49% to $3.59 billion, Cambodia’s surged 28.47% to $3.57 billion, and Pakistan posted 14% growth to $1.80 billion during the January–September period.
While Bangladesh’s performance in the US market remains strong for now, exporters say sustaining the momentum will depend on tariff developments, political stability at home, and the country’s ability to stay competitive against increasingly aggressive regional rivals.
