In the first three months of the current financial year (July-September 2021)* the leather industry in Bangladesh has exported 271.34 million US dollars, an increase of 20.52% over similar period in the previous year. The exports level for the period was above the target set of 247.27 million US dollars (+9.73%)

Main contributing category was leather footwear, which represented 65.9% of the total exports of the segment, with a global value of 168.71 million US dollars in period, exceeding the target set for the period by 13.46% (148.70 million US dollars) and growing by 13.72% from similar period in the previous fiscal year.

Finished leather exports generated 31.96 million US dollars in the first three months of the year, up by 34.29% from similar period in the previous fiscal year, and over the target set for the period (+2.11%). Leather goods contributed with 70.67 million US dollars, increasing by 33.34% from similar period in the previous fiscal year, 5.05% over the target established for the period.

Revenue generated by exports of other footwear (92.63 million US dollars) declined by -9.22% from similar period in the previous fiscal year and missed the target set for the category in the period (-3.45%).

The Bangladesh Footwear Industry in 2020

According to the World Footwear 2021 Yearbook (AVAILABLE HERE) in 2020 Bangladesh was the 8^th largest footwear producer (423 million pairs) and 9^th largest consumer market (366 million pairs). The manufacturing industry in the Asian country is much orientated to the internal market with only 72 million pairs exported in 2020 (making this the 16th largest exporter of footwear). Exports of Bangladesh have been growing consistently and sharply for years but falling in 2020 for the first time in a decade.


*Bangladesh’s financial year runs from July to June

Image credits:  Aron Yigin on Unsplash