Key Highlights:

• The value of Bangladesh’s imports reached $94 billion in 2025

• Mineral fuels alone crossed $12.73B in April 2025 to March 2026 as per EX-IM Trade Intel

•  Bangladesh consistently ranks among the world’s largest importers of raw cotton  

• China supplies nearly one-third of everything Bangladesh imports

• Despite its strong agricultural base, Bangladesh imports large volumes of cereals annually especially maize, and rice to meet its domestic demand

Get Access To Bangladesh Import Data

Bangladesh’s economy runs on a steady flow of goods that are being imported across the world. The more exciting thing is that the product mix that gets imported tells a surprisingly complex story. Factories need raw materials, cities need fuel, and households rely on imported essentials more than it seems at first glance.

Most people know Bangladesh as a garment exporter, but the import side story is just as big. According to trade data for April 2025 to March 2026, Bangladesh's total import touched approximately $94 billion. Energy, raw materials, food, and industrial equipment are all flowing in at scale to keep the economy moving. That’s what makes the Bangladesh import market so important to understand.

A closer look at the top 10 import products of Bangladesh shows clear patterns of industrial demand, rising energy needs, and a strong dependency on raw materials. If you're a trader, analyst, or exporter looking to sell into the Bangladeshi market, this is a good place to start.

Major Imports of Bangladesh (April 2025 - March 2026)

Here's a snapshot of where Bangladesh's import spending was concentrated during FY 2025-26. The top ten HS chapters account for the bulk of Bangladesh's import basket and the figures are based on EX-IM trade analytics covering shipments from April 2025 to March 2026:

HS Code	Description	Export Value (USD)
27	Mineral Fuels & Petroleum Products	$12.73B
52	Cotton	$8.44B
84	Machinery & Mechanical Equipment	$4.86B
15	Animal and Vegetable Oils	$4.35B
72	Iron and Steel	$3.72B
10	Cereals	$3.19B
85	Electrical Machinery and Equipment	$3.18B
12	Oil Seeds and Agricultural Seeds	$1.25B
87	Vehicles, Auto Parts, Accessories	$1.15B
07	Edible Vegetables and Certain Roots	$715.94M

 

Mineral Fuels & Petroleum Products (HS 27)

This import category has the greatest value mainly due to the imports of refined petroleum oils and liquefied natural gas, which combined represent a large part of the $12.73B amount. Bangladesh's natural gas reserves have been depleting for many years and that's why, it fills the gap through LNG and refined fuel imports. Power generation, transportation, and industrial use all feed this demand.

Cotton (HS 52)

Raw cotton (HS 5201) and cotton yarn (HS 5205) are the backbone of the garment industry. Bangladesh produces less than 2% of its domestic cotton needs. Everything else is imported - mostly from India, the United States, and West Africa. The scale of this import alone reflects just how dependent the RMG export sector is on foreign raw materials. Bangladesh is consistently among the world's top two importers of raw cotton globally.

Machinery & Mechanical Equipment (HS 84)

This HS chapter includes machinery for producing textiles industrially, power equipment, construction machinery, and printing machines. Bangladesh is modernizing its factories and establishing new industrial zones, so the need for capital equipment remains strong. China, Germany, and Japan are the leading supplying countries. With this, boilers and turbines for power plants are also classified in this group.

Animal and Vegetable Oils (HS 15)

Palm oil (HS 1511) and soybean oil (HS 1507) lead in this category because edible oil is a cooking staple across Bangladesh and domestic production doesn’t come anywhere meeting the demand. Malaysia and Indonesia supply bulk palm oil while Argentina and Brazil handle much of soybean oil. The import volume here has been consistently high for over a decade.

Iron and Steel (HS 72)

Steel scrap with HSN 7204, flat-rolled steel with HSN Code 7208, and rebar with HSN 7213 are all in high demand due to construction activities. These are infrastructure projects, housing, and port development who are driving the major demand. The country generates some amount of steel from Shipbreaking yards along the Chittagong coast but it's not enough to meet total demand. This makes them import steel from countries like China, India, and South Korea which makes them the main exporters to Bangladesh in this category.

Cereals (HS 10)

Bangladesh imports huge volumes of wheat with HSN code 1001, mainly for flour mills and food processing. This is because the country isn’t self-sufficient in wheat making it dependent on Russia, India, Ukraine, and Australia. Import volumes shift significantly year to year based on domestic crop performance and global wheat prices, yet demand stays steadily above $3 billion annually.

Electrical Machinery and Equipment (HS 85)

Goods under this HS code cover Integrated circuits, telecom equipment, transformers, and other electrical components. The country of Bangladesh is increasing its power network, introducing a wider digital infrastructure, and enlarging its consumer electronics market. China brings the largest part of products in this group and the increase in these products is quite steady, with only integrated circuits showing very strong year-on-year progress.

Oil Seeds and Agricultural Seeds (HS 12)

Soybeans, sunflower seeds and other seeds are mainly brought into the country for processing into edible oils and animal feed. The poultry and fish farming sectors in Bangladesh are rapidly expanding and have a high dependence on import of soybean meal and other products closely related to it. The main suppliers of this category in Bangladesh are Brazil and Argentina.

Vehicles, Auto Parts & Accessories (HS 87)

Passenger cars, commercial vehicles, motorcycles, and spare parts are the factors driving this category's product market. Used passenger vehicles mainly come from Japan whereas two-wheelers and commercial vehicles are largely supplied by India. China, besides other countries, has also been increasing its market share in motorcycles and commercial trucks.

Edible Vegetables and Certain Roots (HS 07)

Onions, garlic, ginger, and other vegetables are imported to support domestic supply - especially during off-seasons when local production falls short. India is the dominant supplier in this category, though Bangladesh actively manages import dependence here through agricultural policy.

List of Top Import Partners of Bangladesh in 2026

As per April 2025 - March 2026 trade data, here are the top 5 countries supplying the most goods to Bangladesh:

Country	Primary Import Drivers
China	Textiles, knit fabrics, electronic components, machinery, industrial raw materials
India	Cotton, mineral fuels, oils, machinery, vehicles, agricultural commodities
Singapore	Refined petroleum, petroleum oils, ships, industrial machinery
Brazil	Sugar, soybean oil, cotton, iron/steel products
Saudi Arabia	Nitrogenous fertilizers, ethylene polymers, refined petroleum, chemical products

 

China tops the list and its dominance is not surprising here as it supplies fabrics, polyester, machinery, electronics, and a wide range of intermediate goods. These exports from China to Bangladesh play a very major role in Bangladesh’s garment and manufacturing sectors. India is another strong trade partner which provides essential raw materials, fuels, and agricultural products which meets Bangladesh’s industrial and consumer demand. Singapore plays a major role in petroleum related imports to Bangladesh whereas Brazil contributes through agricultural goods like sugar, soybean oil, and cotton. Lastly, Saudi Arabia supports Bangladesh’s agricultural and industrial activities by supplying fertilizers, petrochemicals, and refined petroleum products.

Looking for Bangladesh Import Export Data?

Bangladesh’s trade story is becoming stronger with its growing import demand and rising exports. Understanding this balance helps other businesses make better decisions. There are clear opportunities for exporters dealing in fuel, machinery, textiles, and food commodities. At the same time, tracking trends of import products of Bangladesh helps identify gaps and demand shifts.

If you’re in global trade and planning to enter the Bangladesh market then access to reliable Bangladesh import export data becomes important. Best trade platforms like EX-IM By The Dollar Business gives you a clear picture of buyers, volumes, pricing trends, and much more. To understand more about it, book a demo with us today and learn how trade intelligence can help you grow internationally.

 

Frequently Asked Questions:

1. What is the most in demand product of Bangladesh?
As per the import data between April 2025 to March 2026 mineral fuels and petroleum products are the most in demand products of Bangladesh currently.

2. Who is the biggest import partner of Bangladesh?
China is the largest import partner of Bangladesh as it supplies a wide range of products that boosts the country's industrial and economic growth.

3.What are the top import products of Bangladesh?
Some of the main imported items of Bangladesh include mineral fuels and petroleum products, cotton machinery and mechanical equipment, animal and vegetable oils, iron and steel cereals, electrical machinery, oil seeds, vehicles, and edible vegetables.

4. Where can I get Bangladesh import export data?
You can find reliable import export data for Bangladesh on trade platforms such as EX-IM By The Dollar Business which provides trade insights from 181 countries.

Also Read: Top Export Products from Bangladesh

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