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Bangladesh Trade Statistics 2020: Trade Volume, Partners, and Product Composition

Bangladesh 2020 Trade Statistics Overview

In FY2019-20, Bangladesh recorded total trade of $78.5B ($33.7B in exports and $44.8B in imports), with exports down 17% and imports down 8% from the prior year due to the COVID-19 shock. RMG garments accounted for 83% of exports, while imports were dominated by raw materials, machinery, and crude oil. Korea-Bangladesh trade reached $1.8B ($1.3B in Korean exports, $0.5B in Bangladesh exports), placing Korea as Bangladesh's eighth-largest trade partner.

$78.5B
Total Trade
FY2019-20
$33.7B
Exports
YoY -17%
$44.8B
Imports
YoY -8%
$1.8B
Korea-BD Trade
Korea: 8th partner

Export Structure Analysis

Bangladesh exports remain highly concentrated in RMG, with the top five products representing 92% of total exports. Main destinations were the EU (58%), the United States (17%), and the United Kingdom (10%), while Korea's share stood at 1.5%.

Top Five Export Products in 2020
ProductAmountShareYoYMain Markets
Knitted apparel$15.1B45%-12%EU, United States
Woven apparel$12.8B38%-20%EU, United Kingdom
Home textiles$1.1B3%-8%EU, United States
Seafood$0.6B2%-15%Japan, EU
Jute products$0.5B2%+5%India, China

Import Structure and Korean Exports

Imports were concentrated in raw materials (cotton and chemicals), machinery and equipment, oil and gas, and food. Of Korea's $1.3B export to Bangladesh, blended yarn textiles ($350M), steel ($250M), electrical-electronics ($200M), and machinery ($150M) were the major categories.

Bangladesh Top Imports
Cotton/spun yarn$5.5B (12%)
Machinery/equipment$5.0B (11%)
Oil and gas$4.5B (10%)
Chemical/plastic$4.0B (9%)
Korea to Bangladesh Exports
Blended yarn textiles$350M (27%)
Steel$250M (19%)
Electrical electronics$200M (15%)
Machinery$150M (12%)

Top Trade Partners

Bangladesh Top 10 Trading Partners in 2020
RankCountryExportsImportsTotal Trade
1China$0.8B$13.5B$14.3B
2United States$5.7B$1.5B$7.2B
3India$1.1B$5.8B$6.9B
4Germany$5.6B$0.5B$6.1B
5United Kingdom$3.4B$0.3B$3.7B
6Japan$1.0B$1.8B$2.8B
7Singapore$0.3B$2.2B$2.5B
8Republic of Korea$0.5B$1.3B$1.8B

Implications for Korean Firms

01
Sustain blended yarn
Blended yarn is Korea's top export item at $350M and remains core to the downstream apparel value chain, with opportunities to move to functional fabrics with higher added value.
02
Expand steel sales
Infrastructure expansion is likely to boost steel demand, creating growth potential in construction steel and steel pipes beyond the current $250M baseline.
03
Machines and equipment opportunities
Factory automation and infrastructure development are expected to raise machinery demand by about 10% per year.
04
CEPA implications
If tariff reductions are realized through CEPA, new export opportunities in automobiles and electronics could exceed $500M.
Trade Status
$78.5B total trade, Korea $1.8B
Export Mix
Textiles and steel, and machinery
CEPA Negotiation
Tariff cuts expected
Trade Expansion
Target of $3.5B
KOTRA Dhaka Annual ReportTrade office performance during the pandemic period
Bangladesh Market Brief 2020Combined overview of macro, industry, and consumption outlook
trade statisticsexportsimportstrade partners2020data
Bangladesh Trade Statistics 2020: Trade Volume, Partners, and Product Composition | Dhaka Trade Portal