Bangladesh Remains a Market Leader in Denim Export to USA

Bangladesh attained a leading position in the USA denim market in 2021, and in the first, four months of 2022 (Jan-Apr) Bangladesh retained the position. During this period Bangladesh exported $248 million in denim with notable YoY growth of 51%, according to new data published by the Commerce Department’s Office of Textiles and Apparel (OTEXA).

This increase is happening because of the increasing demand for denim. According to OTEXA, US denim imports reached $1.25 billion in January-April 2022, a YoY surge of 40.84%. The second-largest exporter of denim after Bangladesh is Pakistan and the country exported $152 million in the first four months of the year. The next highest is Vietnam at $137 million, following Vietnam is China with $110.63 million. In the fifth place is Egypt with $71.70 million. Bangladesh held 21.69% of the US denim market in 2021.

According to industry experts, denim is the biggest brand for Bangladesh in the US markets as US buyers believe Bangladeshi denim is a premium product of high quality. By the end of 2022, experts believe Bangladesh is will be the top denim exporter for the US market for three straight years.

Mohiuddin Rubel, director of BGMEA, and managing director of Bangladesh Apparel Exchange (BAE) contributed to the denim industries' success in the US market through the development and investment in infrastructure, and upgrading technology.

In-house design studios have played a fundamental role in denim export increasing and the support of the local backward industry is also instrumental in ensuring Bangladeshi denim’s success. Furthermore, Bangladesh has improved its lead time leading to faster delivery. To strengthen Bangladesh’s position further ease of doing business should be further developed.