London, 27 February:

Over the past five years, Bangladesh has steadily strengthened its position in the European Union’s (EU) apparel import market, even as overall EU import growth has slowed. According to Eurostat data, while the EU’s total apparel imports rose modestly from €88.15 billion in 2023–24 to €90.00 billion in 2025—a 2.10 percent increase—Bangladesh’s share grew by 5.97 percent, reaching €19.41 billion.

By comparison, China’s apparel exports to the EU increased by just 1.17 percent during the same period, while Turkey saw a decline of 10.73 percent. Longer-term data from 2021 to 2025 shows Bangladesh achieving a 35.81 percent growth in EU apparel exports, outperforming India (33.18 percent) and China (21.48 percent), while Turkey’s exports fell 9.48 percent.

Experts say this performance reflects Bangladesh’s competitive pricing, stable supply chains, and the trust of European buyers. Mohiuddin Rubel, former director of BGMEA and Additional Managing Director of Denim Expert Limited, noted that “even though overall EU growth was limited, Bangladesh has fared better than several major competitors. Nearly 6 percent growth compared to the EU’s average of just over 2 percent is an encouraging sign.”

Rubel also highlighted that the year-end figures show challenges. “While annual growth is positive, the second half of the year was extremely difficult, with negative trends across Europe and China. Bangladesh faced relatively stronger negative pressures, but it managed to maintain volume growth,” he said.

The report also pointed to price pressures in Europe, where apparel prices dropped significantly. Despite this, Bangladesh maintained its export volume, benefiting from rising demand and supply reliability. Rubel added that China’s pricing flexibility allowed it to offer discounts beyond Bangladesh’s, yet Bangladesh’s political stability and government support are expected to strengthen its competitive edge going forward.

He concluded that while almost all suppliers faced the impact of price pressures, countries like Vietnam and Turkey were relatively less affected. With stable global conditions, Bangladesh is poised to further enhance its presence in the EU apparel market.