Fruit imports double, but Ramadan prices remain steep

Infograph: TBS

Highlights:

• Bangladesh fruit imports more than doubled during FY26 first seven months.
• Fruit prices remain high despite surge in imports before Ramadan.
• Retail fruit prices increased Tk50–Tk150 compared with pre-Ramadan levels.
• Traders cite demand, taxes, exchange rates raising fruit import costs.
• Import duties on fruits rose to about 116% recently.
• Consumers blame weak oversight and market manipulation for high prices.

Bangladesh's fruit imports more than doubled this fiscal year, yet prices have remained stubbornly high this Ramadan, keeping many popular items out of reach for low- and middle-income consumers. 

At Chattogram's fruit markets, wholesale prices of fruits are Tk10-Tk30 per kilogram higher than before Ramadan, while retail prices have risen by Tk50-Tk150, limiting the benefits of higher imports. 

Traders blame strong demand during Ramadan and excessive duty-tax burdens for soaring fruit prices, while consumers point to market manipulation and weak oversight.

Data from the Plant Quarantine Station at Chattogram Port shows that in the first seven months of FY25, fruit imports stood at 221,327 tonnes. During the same period in FY26, imports rose to 558,020 tonnes. Imported varieties included apples, oranges, grapes, pears, malta, pineapples, pomelo, guava, and dates.

However, enquiries at Chattogram's major wholesale fruit market, Folmondi, reveal that although prices of different imported fruits fluctuate, overall rates remain higher than before Ramadan.

Abdul Hamid, a buyer from Hamzar Bagh, said his children want fruits during Ramadan. 

However, buying just one kilogram of good-quality grapes now costs Tk400 to Tk500. Unable to afford all types of fruits together, he buys smaller quantities than before.

Rakib Uddin, a retailer at Riazuddin Bazaar, justified the price difference, saying wholesale prices are already high. He added that transport costs, shop rents, and workers' wages further increase retail prices. 

He also noted that fruits cannot be stored for long and carry the risk of spoilage, forcing traders to sell with limited profit margins.

More imports

Fruits are imported from various countries, with the majority entering through Chattogram Port, from where they are distributed across the country. Some imports also arrive via land ports.

Bangladesh imports fruits from India, China, Thailand, Bhutan, Egypt, Brazil, Tunisia, Portugal, New Zealand, Afghanistan, South Africa, and France. Different varieties of dates are imported from Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern countries.

According to the Plant Quarantine Station, imports of apples, oranges, and grapes through the port totalled 244,055 tonnes in the first seven months of FY26. 

During the same period of the previous fiscal year, imports of these three fruits stood at 174,747 tonnes, an increase of nearly 70,000 tonnes within a year.

High fruit prices

A 15-kg carton of malta was selling for Tk3,400 to Tk3,600 at Folmondi. A 20-kg carton of Chinese apples was priced between Tk3,800 and Tk4,000, while local apples sold for Tk5,500 to Tk5,700 per 20-kg carton. 

White grapes were being sold at Tk2,500 to Tk2,800 per 10-kg carton, and black grapes at Tk3,800 to Tk4,300 per 10-kg carton. An 8.5-kg carton of oranges fetched Tk1,700 to Tk1,900.

On-site visits show that retail fruit prices in the city have risen significantly compared with pre-Ramadan levels. Pomegranates, once sold at about Tk450 per kilogram, are now Tk550. 

Chinese oranges, previously Tk250 to Tk300, now retail around Tk350 per kilogram. Malta, once Tk300, is now about Tk350. Apples, earlier around Tk300 per kilogram, are now Tk350 to Tk400. 

Pears have increased from Tk400 to Tk450–Tk500 per kilogram. Black grapes, once Tk400, now cost Tk550 to Tk600 per kilogram.

'Prices rise with demand'

Muhammad Touhidul Alam, general secretary of the Chattogram Fruit Traders' Association, said many traders rush into imports after hearing about profits, but later incur losses and leave the business. 

He added that syndicates cannot form in markets dealing with perishable goods. According to him, prices rise when demand exceeds imports and fall when demand is lower.

Other traders said international prices, dollar exchange rates, and the tariff-tax structure directly influence fruit prices. Besides, the exchange rate rose, increasing import costs and affecting market prices.

Duties on fruit import

Total duties on fruit imports were 89.32% in FY22. But, over the past three years, the total tax incidence on fruit imports rose to about 116%.

A report by the Bangladesh Tariff Commission states that under the Essential Commodities Act of 1956, fresh fruits are considered essential goods, not luxury items. 

The commission recommended reducing the supplementary duty from 30% to 20%, cutting advance tax from 10% to 2%, and abolishing the 20% regulatory duty and 5% advance income tax. Later, the NBR reduced the supplementary duty from 30% to 25% and fully waived the 5% advance tax at the import stage.

Touhidul Alam said that even after some duty reductions, importers still pay Tk120-Tk136 in duties for fruits valued at Tk100, depending on the type. 

Duties should be further reduced to Tk30-Tk40 to bring most fruit prices below Tk200, he said. "This would allow middle- and lower-middle-income people to afford fruits."

SM Nazer Hossain, vice president of the Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB), told TBS that chaos in the fruit market shows no sign of stopping. 

"No matter how much fruit is imported or how much duties are reduced, the impact on prices is minimal because the market operates almost entirely without oversight," he said. 

He added that Importers bring in goods under lower-duty categories but sell them as higher-duty products, misleading consumers, especially during Ramadan. 

"The NBR must clarify which duties apply to which fruits and ensure regular monitoring. Otherwise, it will remain impossible for ordinary people to afford fruit," he said.