Bangladesh’s exports to the American continent marked a rise in the immediate past fiscal, ushering in new hope of exploring new export markets across the Western world. According to Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) data, the country fetched $7.27 billion in export income from Americas in 2014-2015 FY, up from $7.10 billion in 2013-2014 FY and $6.90 billion in 2012-2013 FY. United States and Canada remain the largest markets for Bangladesh’s exports in this region. Steady growth in export income from North America and South America has emerged as a bright prospect for the country, exporters said, emphasising on more market research to boost exports to this region even further. EPB data show that Bangladesh exports products to 32 countries and islands in the American continent. The country’s export markets in this region include the United States, Canada, Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Jamaica, Mexico, Peru, Uruguay, El Salvador, Panama and Ecuador. Bangladesh earned $5.78 billion in export income from the US in 2014-15 fiscal, up from $5.58 billion in 2013-2014 FY. Meanwhile, Canada remains the second largest export destination for Bangladeshi products in the American region. EPB data show that export income from Canada stood at $1.02 billion in 2014-2015 FY, slightly down from $1.09 billion in the previous fiscal. Of the other major export destinations, Bangladesh fetched $203.05 million from Brazil, $138.31 million from Mexico and $18.74 million in export income from Peru in the immediate past fiscal. “Putting more focus on the American region could be a way for diversifying the export market,” said Abdus Salam Murshedy, president of Exporters Association of Bangladesh. “Export can be enlarged to the Americas by studying the market in those countries and arranging exhibitions there,” he opined. Bangladesh mainly exports garment, leather goods, footwear, jute goods, frozen foods and handicraft items to the markets in the Americas.
