Bangladesh's apparel exports to EU fall 16.43% Y-o-Y in H1
Bangladesh’s apparel exports fell in both volume and value as overall EU imports declined 9.7% in the first half of 2026.
Bangladesh's apparel exports to the European Union (EU) fell 16.43% year-on-year to €8.64 billion in the first half of 2026, as the bloc's overall apparel imports also contracted during the period.
The country's export volume to the EU fell 8.22%, while average prices declined 8.94% in January-June, according to Eurostat data compiled by Bangladesh Apparel Voice (BAV) founder and CEO Mohiuddin Rubel.
The broader EU apparel market also weakened, with imports from around the world falling 9.7% year-on-year to €41.10 billion in the first half of the year. Import volumes declined 6.4%, while average prices fell 3.53%.
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Bangladesh saw some improvement in June, when exports to the EU rose 0.87% year-on-year to €1.37 billion. Shipment volume increased 6.53% that month, although average prices fell 5.31%.
Most major garment-exporting countries also recorded declines in exports to the EU during the first half of the year.
Turkey's exports fell 14.60%, followed by Pakistan at 12.53%, India at 12.49%, Sri Lanka at 11.21%, China at 8.88% and Cambodia at 8.84%.
Vietnam was the only major supplier among those listed to record export growth, with shipments rising 0.36%. Its export volume fell 11.52%, but average prices increased 13.43%, helping it offset the decline in volume.
Indonesia and Cambodia also recorded increases in average prices, but declines in shipment volumes prevented them from posting overall export growth.
