Nearly half of Bangladesh’s garment exports are destined for the European Union, yet the country’s growing economic engagement with the United States appears to be drawing attention from its European partners.
The issue has gained renewed prominence following remarks by French Ambassador to Bangladesh Jean-Marc Séré-Charlet, who highlighted the importance of Bangladesh-France relations and ongoing cooperation in trade, investment and aviation.
Bangladesh’s export figures underline the importance of the European market. During the first quarter of fiscal year 2025-26, around 47.6 percent of Bangladesh’s total apparel exports went to the European Union, while approximately 20.2 percent went to the United States.
For the full 2025-26 fiscal year, Bangladesh exported around $19.06 billion worth of garments to the European Union, accounting for approximately 49.25 percent of total apparel exports. Exports to the United States stood at around $7.74 billion, or roughly 20 percent of the total.
Against this backdrop, Bangladesh’s decisions involving major US and European commercial interests are being closely watched.
One such issue is Bangladesh Biman’s plan to purchase new aircraft. The French ambassador recently said that the decision to select Airbus was based on business and technical considerations rather than political factors. He also expressed optimism that discussions over the proposed Airbus deal would eventually lead to an agreement.
The aircraft issue has become particularly significant because Airbus, a European manufacturer, is competing for a major order in a market where Boeing of the United States also has strong commercial interests.
The French envoy’s comments come as Bangladesh seeks to strengthen relations with both Europe and the United States while maintaining access to its major export markets.
France and Bangladesh have also been discussing cooperation in areas including trade, investment, defence, aviation, education, renewable energy and technology.
While the ambassador’s remarks have been interpreted by some as reflecting European concern over Bangladesh’s growing engagement with Washington, his publicly reported comments did not amount to a direct expression of dissatisfaction with Bangladesh. Rather, they emphasized the importance of long-term partnership, fair competition and continued cooperation between Bangladesh and its European partners.
For Bangladesh, the challenge remains balancing its expanding economic ties with the United States with its longstanding and highly significant commercial relationship with the European market.