The US is outperforming Bangladesh’s wider apparel export growth, reinforcing its importance as the country’s largest single-country garment market.
Bangladesh’s ready-made garment exports to the United States jumped 25.65% year on year to about $817.1 million in August 2026, from $650.3 million a year earlier, according to Export Promotion Bureau data reported by Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha. BSS described it as the strongest monthly year-on-year growth recorded for the market.
The increase significantly outpaced Bangladesh’s overall RMG performance. Total apparel exports rose 13.92% to $3.89 billion in August, with knitwear gaining 14.88% and woven garments 12.70%. The US therefore absorbed roughly one-fifth of Bangladesh’s garment exports during the month.
US outpaces overall RMG growth
During July–August FY2026/27, garment shipments to the US reached $1.613 billion, up 11.42% from $1.448 billion a year earlier. July had been virtually flat, down 0.18%, making August responsible for most of the two-month acceleration.
By comparison, Bangladesh’s total RMG exports increased 5.12% to $7.50 billion during the same two months. The US is therefore gaining importance within Bangladesh’s export mix.
Trade policy adds another variable
The US and Bangladesh agreed earlier in 2026 on a trade framework that maintains a 19% reciprocal tariff for most Bangladeshi goods while providing for a mechanism under which specified volumes of textile and apparel products could receive a zero reciprocal tariff linked to Bangladesh’s purchases of US textile inputs.
Separate US Section 301 measures also envisage textile tariff-rate quotas linked to purchases of US cotton and textile materials, making sourcing decisions increasingly intertwined with market access.
Higher value becomes the next test
Bangladesh earned $7.74 billion from US RMG exports in FY2025/26. Sustaining August’s momentum will require more than volume: exporters increasingly need man-made-fibre garments, technical products, faster delivery and higher unit values.
The critical signals now are US holiday-season orders, energy reliability inside Bangladesh and how the new tariff-linked sourcing mechanisms are implemented.
