Bangladesh’s readymade garment (RMG) industry is seeing fresh opportunities to expand in Japan, one of the world’s major apparel-importing markets, as rising export figures point to scope for market diversification and a shift towards higher-value products.
Bangladesh exported $343.65 million worth of RMG products to Japan in the first quarter (July-September) of the current 2026-27 fiscal year, according to Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) data. The country’s total RMG exports stood at $10.58 billion during the same period.
Japan accounted for 3.25% of Bangladesh’s total RMG exports in the first quarter, the highest share in four years, signalling renewed potential for exporters to strengthen their presence in the Japanese market.
Mohiuddin Rubel, founder and CEO of Bangladesh Apparel Voice, told Daily Waadaa that Japan imports around $20 billion to $25 billion worth of ready-made garments annually from across the world, while Bangladesh’s exports to the market amount to about $1 billion a year.
He said it leaves considerable room for Bangladesh to expand its market share, as major competitors, including China, Vietnam and Cambodia, continue to supply the Japanese apparel market.
“The purchasing power of Japanese consumers is strong, creating significant opportunities for Bangladesh to export more high-quality products to this market,” Rubel added.
He said greater access to Japan could help Bangladesh diversify its RMG export destinations, reduce its dependence on traditional markets and strengthen its position in the global apparel industry.
EPB data compiled by Bangladesh Apparel Voice show that Japan’s share of Bangladesh’s RMG exports has remained close to 3% since fiscal 2022-23, despite fluctuations in export earnings.
Bangladesh exported $1.15 billion worth of garments to Japan in FY2022-23. Exports fell to $1.09 billion in FY2023-24 before rising to $1.19 billion in FY2024-25.
However, shipments declined to $1.13 billion in FY2025-26 again.
The decline came amid a broader contraction in Bangladesh’s garment exports. EPB data show that the country's total RMG exports fell 1.6% year-on-year to $38.70 billion in FY2025-26, reducing Japan’s share of the country’s total garment exports to 2.93%.
The latest quarterly figures, however, suggest that Bangladesh may be regaining ground in the Japanese market.
Japan’s overall apparel import figures underline the scale of the opportunity. Data from the International Trade Centre (ITC) show that the country imported $24.96 billion worth of apparel between July 2022 and June 2023.
Imports declined 7.3% to $23.14 billion over the following 12 months, before recovering to $23.90 billion in FY2024-25, up 3.3%. They increased a further 1.2% to $24.19 billion in FY2025-26.
Japan imported $4.05 billion worth of apparel in July and August this year alone, indicating continued demand in the market.
For Bangladesh, expanding exports to Japan will require more than increasing shipment volumes. Moving into higher-value and premium apparel, maintaining quality standards and responding to Japanese consumers’ specific preferences could help local manufacturers secure a larger share of the market.
A stronger foothold in Japan would also give Bangladesh an opportunity to diversify its export base and reduce its vulnerability to fluctuations in demand across traditional destinations.
With Japan importing tens of billions of dollars’ worth of apparel annually, even a modest increase in Bangladesh’s market share could create significant opportunities for the country’s garment manufacturers and exporters.