According to UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) report, the price growth of export goods in Bangladesh will decline in 2017 compared to 2016 but volume will increase significantly in this period. The report ‘Asia-Pacific Trade and Investment Report 2016’, was released with recent trends and updates of the region.

The UNESCAP said price growth of merchandise export in 2017 would come down to 3.80 per cent from 4.2 per cent recorded till yet in the current year. However, the volume of export will increase to 1.64 per cent in 2017 from 0.77 per cent in 2016.

Because of the growth in volume, value of export would increase to 5.5 per cent in 2017 compared to 5 per cent of the current year, the report says. Bangladesh export earnings in fiscal year 2015-16 stood at $34.24 billion with readymade garments exports recording $28.09 billion. The price growth of export goods of other neighbouring countries will be positive as per the report. For example, the price growth of Vietnam will rise to 10.20 per cent with growth in volume from -3.20 per cent in 2016.

Price growth of India is currently negative at -3.70 per cent which will be 5.60 per cent in the coming year. Sri Lanka’s price growth of export goods is currently -5.30 per cent which will increase to 2.60 per cent in 2017. Similar trends have been witnessed in Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand where price growth of export goods will increase in the coming year with rise in volume. The UNESCAP report shows that the price growth of import goods of Bangladesh will also decline to 0.80 per cent in 2017 from 3.20 in the current year.