The answer has two layers: the largest single country and the largest trading bloc.
The largest single buyer of garments from Bangladesh is consistently the United States, while the largest regional bloc is the European Union.
Here’s a detailed breakdown based on the latest data (FY 2023-2024).
1. By Country: United States
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Volume: The US is the single largest national market for Bangladeshi Ready-Made Garments (RMG).
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Recent Data: In the fiscal year 2023-24 (July ’23 – June ’24), Bangladesh’s RMG exports to the US were around $8.71 billion.
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Common Items: The US buys a wide range of items, including basic T-shirts, denim pants, shirts, sweaters, and home textiles.
2. By Economic Bloc: European Union (EU)
When the 27 member countries of the EU are considered as a single entity, they form the largest overall buyer.
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Volume: The EU’s collective imports from Bangladesh are significantly higher than those of the US.
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Recent Data: In FY 2023-24, RMG exports to the EU were approximately $25.55 billion.
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The top individual countries within the EU are Germany, Spain, France, Poland, and the Netherlands.
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Key Driver – Trade Benefits: A major reason for this high volume is the Everything But Arms (EBA) initiative, which allows Bangladesh (as a Least Developed Country) duty-free and quota-free access to the EU market for all products except arms and ammunition.
Summary Table of Top Buyers (FY 2023-24)
| Rank | Buyer | Export Value (Approx. USD) | Key Characteristics |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | European Union (as a bloc) | $25.55 Billion | Largest overall market, driven by duty-free access under EBA. |
| 2 | United States (single country) | $8.71 Billion | Largest single-country market, but faces average tariffs of 15.62%. |
| 3 | United Kingdom | $5.43 Billion | A major, stable market post-Brexit, now with its own duty-free scheme. |
| 4 | Canada | $1.74 Billion | Growing market with preferential access. |
| 5 | Japan | ~$1.5 Billion | A strategic, high-value market focused on quality. |
*Source: Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), based on data from the July 2023 – June 2024 fiscal year.*
Key Context and Trends
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The “China Plus One” Strategy: Global buyers (including major brands from the US and EU) are diversifying their sourcing away from China due to rising costs and geopolitical risks. Bangladesh is one of the biggest beneficiaries of this trend, leading to increased orders.
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Major Brands Sourcing from Bangladesh: While countries are the importers, the driving force is global retail giants. The largest buyers include:
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From the US: Walmart, H&M (Swedish but a massive buyer for the US market), Target, Gap Inc., PVH (Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger).
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From the EU: H&M, Inditex (Zara), Bestseller (Vero Moda, Jack & Jones), Primark, C&A.
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Market Diversification: Bangladesh is actively trying to reduce its reliance on the US and EU by exploring new markets in East Asia (Japan, South Korea), India, and Australia.
In a nutshell: While you can walk into a store in America and easily find clothes made in Bangladesh, the collective purchasing power of European countries makes the EU Bangladesh’s most important garment customer by a significant margin.
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