Bangladesh’s trade deficit widened nearly 24% to $23.98 billion during the first 11 months of fiscal 2025-26 as exports declined and imports of capital machinery and industrial materials weakened.
Bangladesh Bank data showed imports reached $64.02 billion from July through May, compared with exports of $40.04 billion. Capital machinery imports fell 10.68% to $1.8 billion, signaling reduced long-term industrial investment.
Full-year merchandise exports declined 0.58% to about $48 billion, missing the government’s $55 billion target. Ready-made garments generated about $38.7 billion and remained the country’s dominant export industry.
Record remittances of $35.5 billion, up 17.3%, helped cushion pressure on external accounts and foreign exchange reserves.
Economists and business leaders called for lower operating costs, improved logistics, reliable energy supplies, faster customs processing and greater export diversification to strengthen Bangladesh’s competitiveness.