Browse Data and Analysis

This report outlines the Bangladesh government’s required documents from the United States to facilitate the importation of U.S. food and agricultural products. Post has not made substantive changes to the report for 2022.

On September 15, 2013, the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock released the Animal Feed Rules 2013 to ensure the quality and standard of animal feed and its production, import, export, preserving, marketing, and use. The Rules cover licensing conditions and procedures, approving the quality of feed and its ingredients, including conventional food, maintaining feed quality with required energy, protein, nutrition, and standards for different types of animals, varied by age.

On February 28, 2005, the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock enacted the Bangladesh Livestock and Animal Products Quarantine Act 2005 to prevent the outbreak and spread of animal diseases and to protect public health, for quarantine, import, and export control of animal and animal products and related matters.

Economic conditions in Bangladesh have created significant opportunities for U.S. agricultural exports, particularly consumer-oriented commodities including tree nuts, condiments and sauces, fruit juice and non-alcoholic beverages, snacks, and baking ingredients.

Bangladesh consumes approximately 6 million metric tons of chemical fertilizers annually, of which about 80 percent are imported. The four major imported chemical fertilizers in Bangladesh are urea, triple super phosphate, diammonium phosphate, and muriate of potash (MOP). Russia and Belarus were the dominant suppliers of MOP in Bangladesh.

On February 22, 2022, the Government of Bangladesh (GoB) revised the permissible wastage rate for basic garment products to 29 percent, specialized products to 32 percent, and sweaters and socks to 16 percent.

For marketing year 2022/2023, Post forecasts cotton production at 155 thousand bales and imports at 8.9 million bales. Indian cotton took 29 percent market share in calendar year (CY) 2021, followed by Brazil, Benin, and the United States. In CY 2021...

Post’s marketing year (MY) 2022/2023 rice harvested area and production forecast is 11.75 million hectares and 36.32 million metric tons (MT), respectively. Local prices of rice, wheat, and corn hit record highs in March 2022 and the Russian invasion of Ukraine has increased volatility. Post forecasts MY 2022/2023 wheat at 7.5 million MT and corn imports at 2.3 million MT.

Edible oil prices have been trending higher and are now increasingly volatile due to poor market transparency and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Post forecasts MY 2022/2023 soybean imports up to 2.8 million MT, while local soybean production remains flat.

Post forecasts a slight increase in rice production and prices continue to rise, but the government continues to import rice to make it affordable. Wheat a flour prices are also trending upward.

On December 19, 2021, the Bangladesh Ministry of Commerce increased the maximum wastage rate for producing ready-made garment items from raw materials (yarn, fabric, finished products). The Ministry of Commerce set the new maximum wastage rate at 27 percent for basic knitwear, 30 percent for special items, and 4 percent for sweaters and socks.

For marketing year 2021/2022, Post forecasts cotton production up slightly to 151 thousand bales, with total consumption at 8.81 million bales.