Bangladesh has surpassed China to become the top knitwear exporter to the European Union (EU) for the first time, driven by the duty facility available under the Everything But Arms (EBA) scheme.

During January-September 2023, the EU’s knitwear import from Bangladesh reached $9 billion, exceeding China’s $8.9 billion. In terms of weight, the EU imported 571 million kilograms from Bangladesh, compared to China’s 442 million kilograms.

Investments in high-value-added items, particularly activewear, and the EBA scheme are credited for Bangladesh’s performance. The country also leads in denim sourcing in the EU and the US and ranks top in cotton apparel supply to the US.