Export earnings bounced back riding on a sharp rise in shipment of knitwear and jute and jute goods in March as the country fetched $3076 million, up by a 12.59 percent year-on-year for some relaxation of Covid-19 pandemic restrictions over the last few months.
In July-March period of the current fiscal year, the overall earnings from merchandise export was $28938.35million, posting a year-on-year fall of only 0.12 per cent, according to data released by the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) on Tuesday.
"Export earnings have remained almost stable because of recovery of garment shipment, which typically contributes more than 80 per cent to the national export," said an EPB official.
Business activities in the country have become almost normal over the last few months as the government allowed to open all kinds of economic activities over the last few months especially due to rolling- out of Covid-19 vaccination in the country.
However, overall apparel export fell slightly 2.55 per cent year-on-year to $23487 million in the July-March period this fiscal , according to the latest data of the EPB.
Of the $23487 million earnings from the apparel export during July-March period, $12,654 million came from the knitwear shipment, which was up by 5.65 per cent. Earnings from jute and jute products witnessed a 22.94 percent up to $953.57 million year-on-year, informed the EPB.
During the period the export of woven items declined 10.63 per cent to $10,833.74 million.
The shipment of woven items has been declining since June last year as many people have been cooped up indoors and many worked from home because of the pandemic, said the EPB official.But home textile exports witnessed a 41.5 percent growth to $845.45 million in July-March period.
Shipment of footwear witnessed a 3.82 percent growth to $421.53 million, engineering products 49.72 percent to $381.63 million and chemical products shipment rose to 21.22 percent to $129.08 million.
But terry towel shipment slipped by 4.49 per cent to $28.69 million, frozen and live fish export fell 8.66 per cent to $367.74 million.
Agricultural product shipment went up by 3.43per cent to $746.72.
"The major markets of our RMG items are struggling with the intensity of the pandemic," said BGMEA leader Rubana Huq.
Kazi Belayet Hossain, a leader of the Bangladesh Frozen Foods Exporters Association, said frozen fish was sold for $12 to $12.5 per pound before the pandemic. Now the same quantity of frozen fish is being sold for $9 to $9.5 per pound.
"The second wave is affecting the export of frozen fish severely," he said.
