Written by The Banking Post
Bangladesh’s export earnings fell for the sixth straight month in January, extending a downturn that began in August last year, though the rate of decline showed signs of easing.
The country earned $4.41 billion from goods and services exports in January 2026, slightly down from $4.43 billion in the same month a year earlier—a year-on-year drop of 0.5 per cent, according to official data released on Monday.
The decline amounts to $22.3 million, but the latest figures suggest a modest improvement in momentum. In December, export earnings had slumped sharply by 14.25 per cent to $3.97 billion.
On a month-on-month basis, January exports rose by $440 million, marking growth of more than 11 per cent.
The current fiscal year started strongly, with exports jumping 24.76 per cent in July. That momentum faded soon after, with year-on-year contractions of 2.93 per cent in August, 4.61 per cent in September, 7.43 per cent in October and 5.54 per cent in November.
Cumulatively, export receipts during the first seven months of the fiscal year (July–January) stood at $28.41 billion, down 1.93 per cent from $28.97 billion in the same period of the previous year. This contrasts with the first seven months of FY25, when exports posted a solid growth of 11.68 per cent.
The ready-made garment sector, the backbone of the export basket, earned $3.61 billion in January, a 1.35 per cent fall from a year earlier. Knitwear exports declined by 2.61 per cent, while woven garments slipped marginally by 0.07 per cent.
Outside garments, agricultural exports dropped by around 7 per cent. In contrast, pharmaceuticals grew by 13 per cent, frozen and live fish exports rose 13 per cent, jute and jute products increased 12 per cent, and leather and leather goods recorded 6 per cent growth.
The export target for the current fiscal year has been set at $63.5 billion.
