In the July–September quarter of the fiscal year 2025–26, merchandise shipments to the US increased by more than 10% year-over-year, despite worries that the Trump tariffs would impede the nation’s commerce with its biggest export market.
According to the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB), Bangladesh’s exports to the US brought in US $ 2.3 billion in the first quarter of FY ’26, up from US $ 2.1 billion in the same time the previous year. Readymade clothing made up US $ 2.12 billion of this, up from US $ 1.87 billion the previous year. Over one-fifth of Bangladesh’s total garment exports went to the United States due to high demand from Western merchants stockpiling for the holiday season.
This development occurs in spite of the Trump administration’s additional tariffs, which have raised the cost of Bangladeshi goods relative to duty-free competitors.
Mohammad Hatem, President of the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) said, “There is no possibility of export decline from Bangladesh to the US due to the new tariffs, as we mainly export low-value apparel products for hypermarkets.” He added that the rise in prices from tariff will be minimal and are less likely to affect demand.
He also stated that with the new rates, as prices for high-end products increase, more US consumers may opt for affordable options, boosting sales of Bangladeshi goods.
According to Mohammad Abdur Razzaque, Chairman of the local think tank Research and Policy Integration for Development, exports to the United States increased by more than 13% during the first quarter.
He listed three things that encourage exports. These include lower US imports from China, worries about the dependability of India’s supply and changes to Vietnam’s supply chain that depends on China.
Abdur Razzaque stated that the upcoming quarter will be the true test. “By December or January next year, we will have a clearer view of how the US market is responding.” He even said that garment export growth could have reached 12% to 15%, without tariffs, supported by a global rebound in demand.
Orders have increased recently, according to Riad Mahmud, Managing Director of N Poly, a company that sells non-leather shoes to the US, not because of increased demand but rather because of customers’ intelligent sourcing.
According to Riad Mahmud, US consumers are searching for new suppliers as a result of taxes on Chinese footwear, which presents prospects for Bangladeshi exporters. However, he thinks that maintaining this development would require adhering to compliance requirements like Nirapon, which are expensive for many manufacturers.
Despite worries about the higher tariff rates, pharmaceutical shipments to the US are also increasing, according to Shawkat Haider, Executive Director of Beximco Pharmaceuticals.
He further stated that following the Trump Tariffs, there were fears that exports would reduce. Many had even predicted a drop of US $ 1.2 billion. But the reality is quite contrary as exports are increasing.
