Bangladesh posts 0.89% apparel export growth in 2025, lowest among Asian rivals: WTO
Among the world's leading apparel exporters, only China, Turkey and the United States recorded export declines.
Bangladesh has retained its position as the world's second-largest apparel exporter, but its export growth slowed sharply in 2025, trailing almost all of its major Asian competitors as rivals gained ground in the global market.
According to World Trade Organization (WTO) data released recently, Bangladesh exported $38.82 billion worth of garments in 2025, up just 0.89% from $38.48 billion a year earlier.
The slight increase was well below the 4.46% growth recorded by the global apparel market, reflecting that Bangladesh is losing momentum even as worldwide demand recovers.
Only China, Türkiye and the United States posted declines among the major exporters.
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Vietnam, Bangladesh's closest competitor, recorded 10.53% growth to $37.51 billion, narrowing the gap between the two countries to just $1.31 billion. Cambodia registered the fastest expansion among leading exporters at 16.88%, while Pakistan grew 6.83%, Indonesia 5.79%, and India 5.47%.
Fazlul Haque, former president of the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association, said the slowdown in Bangladesh's export growth was the main concern as competing countries were outperforming it in the global market.
"China and Vietnam pursued aggressive marketing over the past year, particularly after Trump imposed tariffs and Bangladesh could not match that effort. As a result, we have fallen behind in this challenging market, while our competitors have moved ahead," he said.
He warned that unless Bangladesh regains its lost ground quickly, the decline in market share could become permanent. "If buyers who once sourced 50% of their orders from Bangladesh cut that to 45% and shift the rest elsewhere, it may be difficult to win them back. We need to act now and take prompt measures to regain our lost position."
Bangladesh retains 2nd positon
Despite the sluggish performance, Bangladesh maintained a 6.76% share of global apparel exports, behind only China, which accounted for 27.35% of the market.
However, Bangladesh's market share slipped from 7% in 2024, while Vietnam's rose from 6.17% to 6.53%, bringing it closer than ever to overtaking Bangladesh.
Exporters said Bangladesh is struggling to capture new orders at a time when many competing manufacturing hubs are expanding rapidly.
The country's apparel industry has faced a series of challenges in recent years, including persistent energy shortages, elevated borrowing costs, political uncertainty and weaker investment in manufacturing capacity. Industry leaders have also repeatedly warned that gas shortages and rising production costs are eroding Bangladesh's competitiveness.
China, the world's largest exporter, continued to lose market share as exports fell 4.92% to $157.11 billion in 2025. Since 2021, China's share of global apparel exports has dropped from 31.71% to 27.35%.
Much of the business shifting away from China appears to be benefiting other Asian producers. Vietnam, Cambodia and Pakistan all outpaced global growth, while Bangladesh's expansion remained largely stagnant.
Bangladesh's export performance has also become increasingly volatile. After surging 27.64% in 2022 as global demand rebounded following the pandemic, exports fell 21.49% in 2023 before recovering 7.23% in 2024. The slowdown to less than 1% growth in 2025 suggests the recovery has lost momentum.
