DHAKA: Bangladesh’s total export earnings reached US$8.66 billion in the first quarter of the current fiscal year, a +6.81% increase compared with US$8.07 billion of the corresponding period in the prior fiscal year. However, in the month of September export earnings are reported to have fallen -9.83% to US$2.03 billion against US$2.25 billion in the same month in 2016. The earnings are 26.72% below the target of US$2.77 billion set for the month. According to local reports, trade analysts and officials have attributed the decline to the Eid al-Adha Islamic festival.
According to the latest data from Bangladesh’s Export Promotion Bureau (EPB), export earnings in the first quarter were 2.84% lower than the target of US$8.91 billion set for the period. Earnings from the leather and leather goods sector is reported to have increased 1.74% in the first quarter of the current fiscal year. Other sectors recording an increase in export earnings in the period include knitwear products (+10.18%), woven garments (+4.04%), RMG-ready-made garments (+7.17%), home textiles (+23.81%), frozen food (+23%), agricultural products (+21%), and jute and jute products (+15.46%).