Trade deficit soars 34pc to $27.28b

Bangladesh’s trade deficit with the rest of the world widened by around 34 per cent in the last fiscal year (FY26), mainly as imports surged while exports remained largely stagnant.

According to the annual balance of payments (BoP) statistics released by Bangladesh Bank on Sunday, the merchandise trade deficit stood at $27.28 billion in FY26, up from $20.40 billion in FY25.

The widening gap came as imports of goods increased significantly, while exports recorded a slight decline.

Exports, calculated on a free-on-board (FoB) basis, stood at $43.86 billion in FY26, down marginally from $43.97 billion in the previous fiscal year.

In contrast, imports rose by 10.50 per cent to $71.14 billion in FY26 from $64.36 billion in FY25.
The central bank data also showed a slight increase in the deficit in services trade. The services deficit stood at $5.74 billion in FY26, compared with $5.68 billion a year earlier.

Receipts from exports of services increased by 4 per cent to $7.06 billion in FY26 from $6.80 billion in FY25.

Meanwhile, expenditure on imported services rose by 2.60 per cent to $12.80 billion in FY26, compared with $12.48 billion in FY25.

The figures indicate that the country’s external trade position came under greater pressure in FY26 as the growth in imports outpaced export earnings.