Bangladesh has evolved from a garment-export powerhouse into one of South Asia's most dynamic import markets. The country's factories, growing middle class, and accelerating infrastructure boom collectively drive demand for a vast array of goods sourced from around the globe. Understanding which products Bangladesh imports — and why — is essential intelligence for exporters, freight forwarders, investors, and policymakers alike.

With total imports reaching $38.11 billion in the first seven months of fiscal year 2024–25 — a 3.3% jump year-on-year — Bangladesh's appetite for imported goods is clearly on the rise despite earlier foreign-exchange headwinds.

In this comprehensive guide, we break down Bangladesh's top import categories in 2025, the primary source countries, the strategic drivers behind each import, and what trade data tells us about where the country is heading economically.

Table of Contents

Overview: Bangladesh's Import Economy in 2025
1. Petroleum & Mineral Fuels
2. Textile Raw Materials (Cotton, Yarn & Fabrics)
3. Food Products (Wheat, Edible Oils & Cereals)
4. Machinery & Industrial Equipment
5. Iron, Steel & Construction Materials
6. Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals
7. Electronics & Semiconductor Components
8. Plastics, Rubber & Synthetic Materials
9. Vehicles & Automotive Parts
10. Edible Oils (Palm & Soybean)
Key Import Partners
Quick Reference: Top Imports at a Glance
Frequently Asked Questions
Conclusion

Overview: Bangladesh's Import Economy in 2025

Bangladesh's import sector is not simply a reflection of consumer demand — it is the lifeblood of the nation's export-oriented manufacturing model. The country's world-famous Ready-Made Garment (RMG) industry, which accounts for over 60% of total export earnings, is heavily dependent on imported inputs: raw cotton, synthetic yarn, dyed fabrics, and sewing machinery.

Beyond garments, Bangladesh is investing heavily in infrastructure, energy, and industrialisation. This translates into soaring demand for petroleum products to power factories and transport networks, iron and steel for construction, and capital machinery for new manufacturing plants.

Key context for 2025

Bangladesh's economy stabilised after earlier foreign exchange pressures, with monthly imports rebounding to a three-year high of $6.2 billion in July 2025.
China remains the dominant supplier, covering roughly 26% of total imports — particularly machinery, electronics, and textile inputs.
India is the second-largest source, supplying petroleum products, cotton, pharmaceuticals, vehicles, and food items.
Technical fabrics and semiconductor components have emerged as fast-growing import categories, reflecting the country's industrial upgrade.

The trade deficit narrowed to approximately $12 billion in the first half of FY2024–25, a year-on-year reduction of over 9% — suggesting improved export competitiveness even as import volumes grew modestly.

01 Petroleum & Mineral Fuels

🛢️

Petroleum, Fuel & Energy Products

Share of total imports: approximately 11% | Primary sources: Saudi Arabia, UAE, India, Iran

Import share~11%

Petroleum and mineral fuels consistently rank as Bangladesh's single largest import category by value. The country imports refined petroleum, crude oil, petroleum gas (LNG), and speed diesel oils to feed its power plants, transport sector, and industrial facilities.

Energy security is a core national concern. Textile millers and garment exporters have publicly flagged the impact of gas shortages on production capacity, even amid significant energy price hikes in recent years. Bangladesh's push for power infrastructure expansion keeps energy imports structurally elevated.

Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Iran are leading petroleum suppliers. India also provides significant volumes of refined petroleum products given its geographic proximity and preferential trade access.

02 Textile Raw Materials — Cotton, Yarn & Fabrics

🧵

Raw Cotton, Yarn & Technical Fabrics

Share of total imports: ~10% | Primary sources: India, China, USA, Pakistan

Import share~10%

The garment industry's dominance over Bangladesh's export earnings creates an equally dominant demand for textile raw materials. Raw cotton — uncarded and uncombed — is among the most consistently imported commodities, valued at approximately $2.8 billion. It serves as the primary input for Bangladesh's spinning mills and clothing manufacturers.

Beyond raw cotton, Bangladesh imports significant quantities of synthetic and blended yarns, knit fabrics, woven fabrics, and technically specialised textiles. In 2025, pile synthetic fabrics surged over 184% year-on-year to reach $67.16 million per month, while dyed polyester woven fabrics rose by nearly 72%, reflecting the growing complexity and variety of garments being produced for global fashion brands.

Polyurethane-coated textiles — used in technical outerwear and sportswear — also grew by over 61%, signalling Bangladesh's movement up the value chain from basic T-shirts toward more sophisticated apparel.

"Bangladesh's textile imports are no longer just raw cotton — they increasingly include high-tech synthetic fabrics, reflecting a deliberate shift toward premium and performance apparel manufacturing."

03 Food Products — Wheat, Cereals & Edible Oils

🌾

Wheat, Cereals, Pulses & Edible Oils

Share of total imports: ~9% | Primary sources: India, Russia, Ukraine, Australia, Indonesia

Import share~9%

Food security is a priority for Bangladesh given its dense population of over 170 million people. Wheat is the most prominently imported food item, valued at approximately $1.92 billion — essential for urban bakeries, noodle producers, and household consumption. Bangladesh recently struck a wheat import deal with the United States as part of strategic efforts to navigate tariff pressures and diversify supply chains.

Cereals and pulses imported from India and other regional suppliers complement Bangladesh's domestic rice production. While rice imports have fluctuated depending on domestic harvest yields, demand for wheat remains structurally elevated as urban dietary patterns shift away from rice-dominant diets.

Palm oil and soybean oil — primarily sourced from Indonesia and Malaysia — represent another major food import category, used extensively in cooking and processed food manufacturing.

04 Machinery & Industrial Equipment

⚙️

Industrial, Electrical & Power Machinery

Share of total imports: ~9% | Primary sources: China, India, Germany, Japan, South Korea

Import share~9%

Machinery and equipment rank among Bangladesh's largest import categories. This broad category encompasses industrial machinery for garment production (sewing machines, cutting tables, embroidery units), electrical machinery, power generation equipment, and heavy industrial machinery for construction and manufacturing.

Bangladesh's infrastructure development agenda — including power plants, bridges, and special economic zones — has been a consistent driver of capital machinery imports. The government's emphasis on industrialisation, combined with private sector investment in export processing zones, creates sustained demand for sophisticated production equipment.

China is the dominant machinery supplier, providing cost-competitive industrial equipment and components. Specialised high-precision machinery, however, is often sourced from Germany, Japan, and South Korea.

Key machinery sub-categories

Garment and textile production machinery
Power generation turbines and generators
Construction equipment and cranes
Computers, servers, and IT infrastructure
Agricultural machinery and processing equipment

05 Iron, Steel & Construction Materials

🏗️

Iron, Steel, Rebar & Structural Materials

Share of total imports: ~7% | Primary sources: China, India, Russia, Japan

Import share~7%

Bangladesh's construction boom — driven by infrastructure megaprojects, urban real estate development, and special economic zones — has made iron and steel one of the country's most strategically important import categories, valued at approximately $1.29 billion.

Steel bars, rods, sheets, and structural forms are used extensively in residential towers, road and bridge construction, and manufacturing facilities. With Bangladesh pursuing multiple large-scale infrastructure projects, including the Padma Bridge's adjacent development corridor and new export processing zones, demand for construction-grade steel remains robust.

China and India are the leading suppliers, offering competitive pricing, while specialty steel grades for industrial manufacturing are sourced from Japan and South Korea.

06 Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals

🧪

Industrial Chemicals, APIs & Agro-Chemicals

Share of total imports: ~4% | Primary sources: China, India, Germany, Singapore

Import share~4%

Chemical imports, valued at approximately $1.43 billion, serve multiple industrial purposes across Bangladesh's diverse manufacturing base. Textile dyeing and finishing chemicals are critical inputs for the garment sector, determining both the quality and international compliance of finished apparel. Bangladesh's textile mills require a steady supply of reactive dyes, softeners, fixatives, and finishing agents.

Beyond textiles, Bangladesh imports Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) to supply its growing domestic pharmaceutical industry, which itself has become a significant regional exporter. Agrochemicals — pesticides, fertilisers, and herbicides — are imported to support agricultural productivity in this densely farmed nation.

India is a key source country for pharmaceutical chemicals given its established generic drug manufacturing base, while China supplies a broad range of industrial and textile processing chemicals.

07 Electronics & Semiconductor Components

💡

Consumer Electronics, ICs & Digital Devices

Share of total imports: ~4% (fast-growing) | Primary sources: China, South Korea, Taiwan

Import share~4% and growing

Electronics imports represent one of the most dynamic growth segments in Bangladesh's import portfolio. Television sets, smartphones, laptops, and consumer appliances serve Bangladesh's expanding middle class, whose purchasing power has grown significantly over the past decade. The government has also been investing heavily in digital infrastructure, creating demand for networking equipment, data centre hardware, and IT systems.

In 2025, electronic integrated circuits saw a 53% surge in monthly import volumes, reaching approximately $30 million per month — driven by the rapid expansion of local electronics assembly operations and the arrival of international technology manufacturers setting up assembly facilities in Bangladesh.

Companies like ISMARTU Technology Bangladesh and Benli Electronic Enterprise are among the most active importers of semiconductor components, signalling a nascent but growing electronics manufacturing ecosystem that could transform Bangladesh from a consumer of electronics into a producer.

08 Plastics, Rubber & Synthetic Materials

🏭

Plastics, Polymers & Rubber Articles

Share of total imports: ~4% | Primary sources: China, India, South Korea, Saudi Arabia

Import share~4%

Plastics and rubber articles serve as critical inputs across a wide spectrum of Bangladeshi industries. Plastic pellets and polymers feed the country's packaging sector, household goods manufacturers, and the growing footwear industry. Synthetic rubber compounds are used in shoe soles, industrial gaskets, and automotive parts.

Bangladesh's footwear export sector — the country's third-largest export earner — relies heavily on imported synthetic materials for sole production and upper components. As Bangladesh aims to grow its footwear exports to new markets in Europe and Asia, demand for high-quality synthetic materials will increase proportionally.

Man-made staple fibres — used in blended yarns and non-woven fabrics — also fall within this import category and are consistently sourced from Chinese and Indian manufacturers.

09 Vehicles & Automotive Parts

🚗

Cars, Trucks, Motorcycles & Auto Parts

Value: ~$1.95B | Primary sources: India, Japan, China, South Korea

Import share~3%

Vehicle imports into Bangladesh have historically been dominated by Japanese and Korean passenger cars, along with Indian commercial vehicles, trucks, and motorcycles. India is a key source given proximity, shared road standards, and competitive pricing for utility vehicles suited to Bangladesh's urban and rural road conditions.

The growing urban middle class in Dhaka and Chittagong continues to drive demand for passenger vehicles, while the logistics and freight sector sustains imports of heavy commercial trucks and cargo vehicles. Motorcycle imports — particularly from India and China — serve both urban commuters and rural delivery workers.

Automotive components and spare parts are also significant sub-categories, feeding Bangladesh's growing vehicle servicing and assembly industry.

10 Edible Oils — Palm Oil & Vegetable Fats

🫙

Palm Oil, Soybean Oil & Animal/Vegetable Fats

Share of total imports: ~4% | Primary sources: Indonesia, Malaysia, India

Import share~4%

Edible oils — particularly palm oil and soybean oil — are among Bangladesh's most consistently high-volume imports, valued at approximately $2.4 billion. Palm oil is the dominant cooking oil in Bangladesh households and is deeply embedded in the country's food culture and processed food industry.

Indonesia and Malaysia are the leading palm oil suppliers to Bangladesh, given their geographic position as the world's largest palm oil producers. Bangladesh imports both crude palm oil (CPO) for refining domestically, and refined, bleached, and deodorised (RBD) palm oil ready for retail and food service use.

Soybean oil, primarily from India and South America, supplements cooking oil supply and is used in food processing, aquaculture feed, and industrial applications.

Bangladesh's Key Import Partners in 2025

Bangladesh's import sourcing map reveals a concentration in Asia, with China and India collectively accounting for well over a third of all imports. The country is strategically diversifying its supplier network — 2025 data shows meaningful new trade flows from Eastern Europe, the Caribbean, and the Balkans, hedging against supply chain disruption.

🇨🇳

China

~26% of imports

Machinery, electronics, textiles

🇮🇳

India

~15% of imports

Petroleum, cotton, food, pharma

🇸🇦

Saudi Arabia

~5% of imports

Petroleum, LPG, chemicals

🇮🇩

Indonesia

~4% of imports

Palm oil, coal, rubber

🇲🇾

Malaysia

~3% of imports

Palm oil, LNG, plastics

🇯🇵

Japan

~3% of imports

Vehicles, precision machinery

Quick Reference: Top Bangladesh Imports at a Glance (2025)

The following table summarises the key import categories, their estimated share of total imports, indicative values, and primary source countries based on the latest available trade data.

Note: Figures are indicative estimates based on FY2024–25 data. Percentages are approximate and rounded. Sources: Trading Economics, Seair Exim Solutions, NBD DATA, Bangladesh Bank.

Frequently Asked Questions

The following questions address the most common search queries related to Bangladesh's import trade in 2025.

What are the top products Bangladesh imports in 2025?

Bangladesh's top imports in 2025 include petroleum and mineral fuels (roughly 11% of total imports), textile raw materials like cotton and yarn (10%), food products including wheat and edible oils (9%), machinery and equipment (9%), iron and steel (7%), chemicals, plastics, electronics, vehicles, and palm oil. These categories collectively account for over 60% of total import value.

Which country does Bangladesh import the most from?

China is Bangladesh's largest import partner in 2025, accounting for approximately 26% of total imports. China supplies machinery, electronics, industrial materials, and textile inputs. India is the second-largest source, providing petroleum products, cotton, pharmaceuticals, food items, and vehicles.

What is Bangladesh's total import value in 2025?

Bangladesh's total imports for the first seven months of fiscal year 2024–25 (July 2024–January 2025) reached $38.11 billion, a 3.3% increase from the same period a year earlier. Monthly imports rebounded to a three-year high of $6.2 billion in July 2025 as the economy stabilised.

Why does Bangladesh import so much cotton and textile materials?

Bangladesh's Ready-Made Garment (RMG) industry accounts for over 60% of the country's total export earnings, making it the dominant economic sector. Since Bangladesh has limited domestic cotton cultivation, it relies heavily on imported raw cotton, yarn, and synthetic fabrics as the essential raw materials for garment production.

What are the fastest-growing import categories in Bangladesh in 2025?

The fastest-growing import categories in Bangladesh in 2025 include technical fabrics (pile synthetic fabrics up 184%, polyurethane-coated textiles up 61%), electronic integrated circuits (up 53%), and dyed polyester woven fabrics (up 72%). These trends reflect Bangladesh's industrial upgrade and its movement into higher-value manufacturing segments.

Conclusion: Bangladesh's Imports Tell a Story of Transformation

Bangladesh's import profile in 2025 reveals a nation at an economic inflection point. The traditional pillars — petroleum for energy, cotton for garments, wheat for food security — remain firmly in place. But alongside them, new patterns are emerging: surging electronics component imports suggesting local manufacturing ambitions, technical fabric imports reflecting a garment sector moving upmarket, and machinery imports powering an infrastructure buildout that could reshape the country's economic geography for decades.

For exporters looking to enter Bangladesh, for investors assessing opportunity, or for policymakers studying South Asian trade flows, the country's import data offers a remarkably transparent window into where the nation is investing its industrial energies — and where it is headed next.

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