The EU has consistently been a trusted partner of Bangladesh and has helped the country attain the status of middle-income country.

EU’s imports from Bangladesh account for around 55.84 per cent of Bangladesh’s total trade.

Bangladesh’s exports to the EU have grown 156.27 per cent in the last ten years. The EU grants Bangladesh duty-free, quota-free access for all exports, except arms and ammunition. EU’s imports from Bangladesh have almost trebled in the period between 2008-2007 and 2016-2017.

Apart from economic and trade development, the EU provides support to Bangladesh for human and social development, good governance, and human rights. The EU’s support to Bangladesh also covers environment and disaster management, as well as food security and nutrition.

The backward and forward linkage industries to the garment sector, manmade fiber based high-end textiles, pharmaceuticals, and footwear and leather products, frozen foods, ship-building have become promising industries in Bangladesh where foreign investment can be highly feasible.

The EU has established itself as the largest trade bloc in the world — average GDP per capita in the EU has almost doubled over the past 20 years.

For Bangladesh, the EU continues to be a strong trading partner and a source of investment for more than four decades.