Spain replaces Germany as top EU market for Bangladesh’s garment exports

Spain has overtaken Germany to become the largest European Union (EU) market for Bangladesh’s readymade garment (RMG) exports in the first quarter of the 2026–27 fiscal year, as shipments to Spain increased while exports to Germany edged down.

Bangladesh exported RMG products worth more than $1.148 billion to Spain between July and September, compared with $1.123 billion to Germany, according to Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) data compiled by Bangladesh Apparel Voice (BAV).

The ranking was reversed in the same period of the previous fiscal year, when exports to Germany exceeded $1.124 billion, while shipments to Spain stood at more than $1.009 billion.

RMG exports to Spain grew 13.73% year-on-year in the first three months of FY27, an increase of $138.62 million. In contrast, exports to Germany declined 0.15% compared with the same period a year earlier.

Bangladesh’s total RMG exports to the EU increased 3.33% year-on-year to $4.904 billion in the July–September quarter, up from $4.746 billion in the first quarter of FY26. The increase amounted to $157.92 million.

Alongside Spain, the Netherlands and Poland also recorded growth in garment imports from Bangladesh during the quarter. Exports to the Netherlands rose 9.02%, while shipments to Poland increased 5.77% year-on-year.

However, export performance varied across the bloc’s major markets. Shipments to France fell 4.91%, while combined exports to the remaining EU countries declined 2.24%.

Bangladesh’s RMG exports to the EU picked up in September, rising 5.53% year-on-year to more than $1.410 billion.

Poland recorded the strongest monthly growth among the five major EU markets that month, with exports from Bangladesh surging 30.25% compared with September a year earlier.