Bangladesh’s exports of readymade garments to the United States reached to $6.42 billion in January-September of 2025, showing a growth of 18.64 per cent, according to the latest data published by the US Office of Textiles and Apparel.
In the same period of 2024, the Bangladeshi RMG exporters shipped RMG items worth $5.41 billion.
Bangladesh outpaced almost all its major competitors in export growth to the US, its single-largest export destination, during the mentioned period.
However, the full effects of the reciprocal tariff are yet to be reflected in OTEXA data, as OTEXA is still reporting up to September, whereas the tariff was implemented on 7 August 2025, said the exporters.
Talking to New Age, Mohiuddin Rubel, former director of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, said that US buyers had always trusted Bangladeshi products.
‘However, if we follow data from the EPB, we can see the impact of the tariff quite clearly in the form of a downward trend, which is expected to worsen in the near future,’ adding that the Otexa data is two months behind the EPB data, for this reason, the real scenario could not be understood properly through this.
The growth rate in the US market has been sluggish for the past several months due to the tariff, the exporters said, warning that the country might see a downturn in the coming months due to tariff issues.
The exports to the US have already started facing a decline trend for the past two months, according to the Export Promotion Bureau data, which publishes about two months ahead of the Otexa data.
In the single month of September, the US imported RMG items worth $779 million from Bangladesh, a 10.64 per cent higher from that of $704 million in September of 2024, the OTEXA data stated.
In terms of volume, Bangladeshi RMG exports to the US also grew by 19.09 per cent to 2.07 billion square metres in the first nine months of 2025, up from 1.74 billion square metres exported in the same period of 2024.
As the third-largest supplier to the US, Bangladesh’s market share in the North American country stood at 10.40 per cent as of September 2025.
During the January-September period, the North American country imported apparel items worth $60.3 billion, a narrow 1.74 per cent increase from $59.3 billion in the same period of 2024.
Amid the ongoing trade war between the US and China, Vietnam remained the top exporter for the past several months, surpassing China.
In January-September, Vietnam’s apparel exports grew by 13.69 per cent to $12.74 billion, surpassing the $11.21 billion recorded in the same period in 2024. Vietnam held a 20.57 per cent market share.
As the second-largest exporter, China again recorded negative growth of 29.89 per cent to $8.78 billion in January-September of 2025, down from $12.52 billion in the same period of 2024, and its market share dropped to 15.92 per cent.
Followed by Bangladesh, India secured the fourth position on the US market with a market share of 6.42 per cent.
The close competitor of Bangladesh exported RMG items worth $4.10 billion in January-September of 2025, registering a 12.81 per cent growth from $3.64 billion in the first nine months of 2024, according to OTEXA data.
RMG exports from Indonesia and Cambodia were $3.59 billion and $3.57 billion in the January-September of 2025, with market shares of 5.83 per cent and 5.72 per cent respectively, making them the fifth- and sixth-largest RMG suppliers to the US.
On July 31, the Trump administration revised the reciprocal tariff on Bangladeshi goods to 20 per cent, following a series of discussions, as the tariff was set at 35 per cent and 37 per cent earlier, effective from August 7.
Moreover, trade disputes with China remained unsettled while the Trump administration imposed a total of 50 per cent tariff on India, aimed at penalising the country for its continued imports of Russian oil.
Bangladeshi manufacturers said that this shift had created some opportunities for Bangladesh’s RMG industry, as buyers might reconsider their sourcing strategies.
Mohiuddin Rubel also said ‘Our export might face a decline from the coming months as US buying from its global suppliers has already started curbing,’ he added.
He said they had to focus on value-added products and resolve domestic issues to sustain in the US market.
‘We should find diversified destinations and proper research, development, and innovation aligning the demands,’ he added.
The exporters also said that the tariff have reshaped global trade by raising costs across the value chain and heavily impacting fashion.
Buyers have been forced to scale back orders for apparel as consumers prioritise essential spending over discretionary items like clothing, they added.
According to OTEXA data, Bangladesh’s apparel exports to the US in 2024 were $7.34 billion, up from $7.29 billion in 2023.
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