Bangladesh’s garment exports rose two per cent over exports in 2015-16. Kintwear shipments, jute and leather products and leather footwear helped the country maintain positive export growth amid a protracted slowdown in the European Union and uncertainty in the US.

Knitwear exports rose 4.81 per cent in July-April. Exports of raw jute, jute yarn and twine and sacks and bags all went up 25.22 per cent, 12.91 per cent and 15.17 per cent respectively. Furniture sales also grew 10.36 per cent. Leather products shipments rose 19.08 per cent while that of leather footwear went up by 14.05 per cent in the July-April period.

Home textiles registered a growth of 6.58 per cent in the first ten months of the ongoing fiscal year. On the other hand, overseas sales for woven garments decreased by 0.14 per cent during the period. Exports of frozen fish fell by 10.46 per cent, shrimps 3.02 per cent, terry towels 9.34 per cent, leather 6.34 per cent and bicycles 11.05 per cent.

At the current pace of growth, Bangladesh could beat last fiscal year's total exports, but may find it difficult to hit the full-year target for 2016-17, which is eight per cent higher than receipts in 2015-16.