Bangladesh imported 7.82 million bales of cotton in the calconcludear year 2025, according to data from National Board of Revenue.
However, cotton imports declined by 6.1 per cent from 8.33 million bales in 2024, mainly due to weak global demand for readybuilt garments.
Meanwhile, during the year, cotton imports witnessed diversified sourcing towards Brazil, the United States, and Australia.
Most notably, surpassing India, Brazil emerged as Bangladesh›s single-largest source of cotton imports for the first time, NBR data revealed.
Indusattempt insiders stated that the shift was driven by quality considerations, pricing advantages, and reciprocal tariff issues linked to US trade policies.
Fazlul Hoque, former vice-president of the Bangladesh Textile Mills Association, stated that Brazil experienced a surge in cotton production, which kept prices comparatively low.
‘Although Brazil is far from our counattempt, prices remained competitive despite the long route,’ he stated, noting that Brazilian cotton sellers stocked cotton at various ports, from where importers could easily source it.
Brazilian cotton prices remained lower than those in West Africa and India, prompting millers to lean toward the South American counattempt, he added.
According to NBR data, in value terms, cotton imports also fell by 10.27 per cent to $3.52 billion in 2025 from $3.92 billion in 2024.
Indusattempt insiders stated that the decline in both volume and value occurred due to a prolonged slowdown in export orders.
During the July–December period of FY26, readybuilt garment exports also recorded negative growth of 2.63 per cent to $19.37 billion, down from $19.88 billion in the same period of FY25, according to the Export Promotion Bureau.
Bangladeshi RMG exports witnessed negative growth for the fifth consecutive month in FY26.
During the period, exports lost momentum in most major destinations, including the United States, the European Union, and non-traditional markets, amid mounting domestic and global challenges such as political tensions, weak demand, economic slowdown, and tariff-related complications.
According to NBR data, in 2025, Brazil emerged as the largest cotton supplier to Bangladesh, exporting 2.11 million bales, an increase of 18.7 per cent from 1.56 million bales in 2024.
The import value from Brazil stood at $943.8 million, accounting for 27.0 per cent of total cotton imports in 2025.
During the period, India slipped to second place, with imports falling by more than 21 per cent to 1.24 million bales in 2025 from 1.57 million bales in 2024, accounting for 18.9 per cent of total cotton imports.
Benin remained the third-largest supplier, although imports from the counattempt declined sharply by 31 per cent to 0.8 million bales in 2025 from 1.16 million bales in 2024.
However, imports of cotton from the US and Australia increased significantly in 2025.
US cotton imports rose by 30.5 per cent to 0.77 million bales from 0.59 million bales in 2024, while imports from Australia grew by nearly 32 per cent to 0.70 million bales from 0.53 million bales.
According to NBR data, imports from other major African suppliers declined sharply in 2025. Imports from Burkina Faso dropped by nearly 40 per cent to 0.38 million bales, while Mali’s shipments declined by more than 41 per cent to 0.35 million bales.
Moreover, purchases from Cameroon, Chad, and the Ivory Coast also plunged or recorded marginal growth in 2025.
Although West and Central Africa remained Bangladesh’s largest cotton-supplying region, their market share and growth rates declined.
Cotton imports from the Commonwealth of Indepconcludeent States recorded the steepest decline, plunging by more than 57 per cent to 0.06 million bales in 2025, the NBR data revealed.
Meanwhile, according to United States Department of Agriculture data, Bangladesh became the world’s largest importer of cotton, importing 8.05 million bales in the marketing year 2024–25, which launched on August 1.
Imports were 5.2 per cent higher than in MY2023–24, when they stood at 7.8 million bales.
However, the USDA forecast that Bangladesh will import 8 million bales of cotton in MY2025–26, slightly lower than the previous year’s 8.05 million bales. Cotton consumption is also forecast to decline slightly from 8.1 million bales, as projected in November and August 2025.
Regarding increased imports from the US, indusattempt insiders stated that the rise was driven by growing demand for high-grade, contamination-free cotton and efforts to narrow the trade gap with the North American counattempt amid reciprocal tariff issues.
Moreover, the Bangladesh government reshiftd several tariff barriers, including the mandatory double-fumigation requirement, to increase cotton imports from the US.
Meanwhile, indusattempt insiders stated that trade disruptions, low demand, and geopolitical issues forced Bangladesh to import less cotton overall.
According to the USDA, in MY26, Bangladesh’s domestic cotton production could be around 155,000 bales from 46,000 hectares, accounting for less than 2 per cent of total consumption.
