The duty facility under the Everything but Arms (EBA) scheme has, for the first time, made Bangladesh the top knitwear exporter in the European Union. 

As per data from the Eurostat, from January-September 2023, EU's knitwear imports from Bangladesh reached $9 billion, exceeding he share of any other country, both in US dollar terms and in volume.

During the nine months, the bloc imported knitwear products worth $9 billion from Bangladesh against $8.96 billion from China.

EU's knitwear import from Bangladesh, during the period, weighed 571 million kg against 442 million kg from China, notes Faruque Hassan, President, Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA). 

One of the reasons for Bangladesh’s robust rise in knitwear exports to the EU is the country’s recent investments in high value-added items, especially activewear, adds Hassan. 

Last year, the EU imported clothing items weighing 1.33 billion kg from Bangladesh against 1.31 billion kg from China. In terms of value, however, its clothing imports were $7.3 billion less than China's.

Bangladesh also tops in the EU and the US in a few other areas in the garment sector.

For example, the country has been the leader in the EU in denim sourcing since 2014, with Turkey in second and Pakistan in third.

In 2020, the country overtook Mexico to become the largest denim exporter to the US. Pakistan came third in the largest market in the world.