Bangladesh's ready-made garment (RMG) exports to the United States in July 2023 saw a significant growth of 7.80%, reaching $748.03 million compared to $693.92 million in the same month of 2022.

This growth came after five consecutive months of decline in Bangladesh's RMG exports to the US. The decline was attributed to the economic slowdown and high inflation in the Western market, primarily driven by the Russia-Ukraine war.

Despite the challenges, Bangladesh outperformed its competitors, such as China and Vietnam, on the global market. In the first seven months of 2023, Bangladesh retained its position as the third-largest apparel exporter to the US market, holding a 9.91% share.

Faruque Hassan, President of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, stated that work orders have started to increase in recent months, indicating a potential rebound in apparel exports in the Western market in the coming months.

The data from the Office of Textiles and Apparel (OTEXA) also revealed that India's RMG exports to the US market from January to July 2023 decreased by 21.12% to $2.91 billion compared to $3.69 billion in the same period the previous year.

Furthermore, US RMG imports from Indonesia in the first seven months of 2023 declined by 27.25% to $2.47 billion, while imports from Cambodia fell by 32.10% to $1.79 billion during the same period.

Overall, the data suggests that the US apparel market is still facing challenges, but Bangladesh is well-positioned to capitalize on any rebound in demand.