The EU imported €60.29 billion worth of apparel in the first eight months of 2026, down 3.83% from €62.69 billion a year earlier. Volume fell 2.57% and the average unit price dropped 1.29%, from €19.91 to €19.65 per kg.
Bangladesh’s exports to the EU fell 11.67%, from €13.50 billion to €11.93 billion. That is a loss of about €1.58 billion. Volume was down 4.58%, but the bigger factor was price: the unit price fell 7.43%, from €14.87 to €13.76 per kg.
August by itself looked a little better. Compared with August 2025, value rose 0.72%, volume dropped 0.57%, and unit price rose 1.29%. For Bangladesh, the numbers point to falling prices more than lost orders. We are shipping slightly less and getting paid noticeably less for each kilo.
China was the only large supplier to grow on both value and volume. Its exports rose 2.38% to €19.71 billion, with volume up 3.45% and unit price down 1.04%. Vietnam grew 4.46% to €3.00 billion even though its volume fell 5.13%, because its unit price rose 10.11%.
Most other suppliers declined. Turkey fell 11.02% to €5.10 billion, India 10.84%, Sri Lanka 11.12%, Indonesia 11.03%, Pakistan 9.63%, Morocco 6.10% and Cambodia 4.51%. Pakistan shipped 3.82% more by weight but its unit price dropped 12.96%. Cambodia went the other way, with volume down 11.63% and price up 8.05%.
Source: Eurostat. Compiled by Bangladesh Apparel Voice (BAV).
Mohiuddin Rubel
Founder & CEO, Bangladesh Apparel Voice (BAV)