Bangladesh’s readymade garment exports to the European Union declined sharply by 25.25 per cent year-on-year to 1.43 billion euros in January 2026, amid weakening demand across the bloc.
During the aforementioned period in 2025, RMG exports totalled 1.91 billion euros, according to recently published data from Eurostat, the EU›s statistical office.
The downturn was not limited to Bangladesh. Major garment-exporting countries also experienced negative growth in January, including China, India, Turkey, and Vietnam, due to weak demand
EU apparel imports in January 2026 from its global suppliers also fell sharply by 15.5 per cent to 7.03 billion euros, down from 8.32 billion euros in January 2025.
During the period, Bangladesh’s knitwear exports to the EU fell to 843.3 million euros from 1.15 billion euros, a decline of 26.4 per cent, while woven garment shipments dropped to 585.6 million euros from 766 million euros, a decline of 23.6 per cent.
According to Eurostat data, the volume of RMG exports to the EU also declined by 17.49 per cent to 105 million kilograms, down from 127 million kg in January 2025.
Simultaneously, the average unit price of Bangladeshi apparel plunged by 9.41 per cent in January 2026 to 13.6 euros per kg, down from 15 euros per kg in January 2025.
In January of this year, Bangladesh remained the second-largest exporter of RMG items, following China.
China, the largest supplier, also witnessed a decline of 6.9 per cent to 2.22 billion euros in January 2026, which was 2.39 billion euros in the same period last year.
Securing the third position, Turkiye exported RMG items worth 620 million euros in January, recording a sharp 29.12 per cent decline from 875 million euros in January last year.
Vietnam’s total exports to the EU in January of this year fell by 7.3 per cent to 363 million euros, which was 392 million euros in the same period last year.
As the fifth-largest supplier, India also recorded a 15.2 per cent decline in total apparel exports to 336 million euros, down from 397 million euros in January of 2025, according to Eurostat data.
Countries like Pakistan, Morocco, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia also witnessed substantial negative growth during January of this year.
Mohiuddin Rubel, former director of BGMEA and additional managing director of Denim Expert Ltd, said that the European markets remained unpredictable and sluggish due to inflation, economic turmoil and shifts in buying patterns.
‘European retailers are now trying to procure products at relatively lower prices. This has increased the pressure on supplier countries to reduce rates,’ he added.
He also said that because the unit price plummeted by over 44 per cent, the total export revenue did not see a significant boost.
‘The EU is a vital market for Bangladesh, accounting for nearly half of the country›s total apparel exports. A decline in demand here directly impacts export growth,’ he added.
He emphasised the need to increase production efficiency, diversify into high-value products, and expand into new markets.
Industry insiders warned that if the European consumer market does not recover quickly, global apparel exports might face further pressure in the first half of 2026.
Bangladesh’s readymade garment exports to the EU reached 19.41 billion euros in 2025, witnessing a positive growth of 5.97 per cent from 18.31 billion euros in 2024.
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