Staff Reporter – Bangladesh’s apparel export earnings from the European Union (EU) market have faced a drastic decline.
During the first three months (January–March) of the current year, 2026, export earnings from this crucial market plummeted by nearly 20% compared to the same period last year.
According to the latest data from Eurostat, the EU’s statistical office, Bangladesh exported garments worth €5,687 million to Europe in the first three months of 2025.
In the same period of 2026, that figure dropped sharply to €4,591 million. While the total volume of exports decreased by 8.32%, the overall value of the apparel suffered a much steeper decline.
Eurostat revealed that due to the ongoing economic slowdown, Europe’s overall garment imports from the global market shrank by 11.62% in the first quarter of this year.
However, Bangladesh experienced the highest drop among its major competitors.
During this timeframe, China’s exports fell by 8%, India’s by 10%, and Pakistan’s by 17%. Meanwhile, Vietnam—Bangladesh’s primary competitor—saw its garment exports dip by a mere 2%.
Additionally, Turkey and Cambodia witnessed declines of 19% and 16%, respectively.