In the fiscal year 2023–2024, Kihak Sang of South Korea’s Youngone Corporation was the top exporter on the list. In second place is the domestically owned business Ha-Meem Group. These two groups still hold the top two spots despite a two-year drop in their shipments.
The remaining eight industrial groups in the top ten readymade garment exporters are Mandal Group, Ananta Group, DBL Group, Pacific Group, Palamal Group, Standard Group, Beximco and Square Group. This is known from the export data obtained from NBR.
The Youngone Group, based in South Korea, was the first firm in Bangladesh to achieve a billion dollar export revenue. The company exported ready-made clothing worth US $ 985.3 million in the most recent fiscal year (2022–2023), excluding disguised exports. Even if its exports dropped by 18 per cent in the last fiscal year, South Korea remains the leader in this group.
52 nations worldwide received exports of Youngone’s clothing during the previous fiscal year. Youngone exported 3,45,00,000 ready-made garment pieces for US $ 806.4 million during the previous fiscal year. High-end clothing is exported from Bangladesh by Youngone, which still owns the renowned German brand Adidas.
Meanwhile, Ha-Meem Group is the top exporter of ready-made garments among domestically owned enterprises. In the last financial year 2021-22, the group grabbed the second top position overall by exporting readymade garments worth US $ 666.6 million. Their exports fell by 12 per cent in two years. The group exported readymade garments worth US $ 586.7 million in the outgoing financial year. Despite the decrease in exports, Ha-Meem remains in the second top position.
Nonetheless, Mandal Group is steadily growing its exports. Exports for the group increased by 5 per cent to US $ 500.5 million in the most recent fiscal year. That was US $ 478.8 million two years ago. The list of nations to which Mandal Group distributes clothing is expanding. The number of nations to which the business exported clothing two years ago had risen to 71.
In addition, the Ananta Group’s export of manufactured clothing in the previous fiscal year caught everyone off guard. The group is placed fourth and has made its debut in the top 10 exporters list. In the most recent fiscal year, Ananta’s six apparel companies exported goods worth US $ 465.7 million. This year’s export is 96 per cent more than last year’s. Their client list includes top brands like Gap, Marks & Spencer, Levi Strauss, Old Navy, PVH and H&M.
Exporting garments to 58 countries in Europe-America, Asia, Middle East and Africa, DBL Group took the fifth position by exporting ready-made garments worth US $ 461.7 million. However, the industry group was in the third top position two years ago.
The exports of Chittagong’s Pacific Jeans Group, which is ranked sixth in exports, have increased slightly. The group exported readymade garments worth US $ 405 million last fiscal, up 2 per cent from a year ago. During this period the group exported 4 crore 31 lakh pieces of garments to 47 countries.
Seventh-ranked Palamal Group’s exports have been declining for two years. In the last financial year 2021-22, the group exported readymade garments worth US $ 486 million. In the last financial year 2023-24, it decreased to US $ 378.3 million. In the last financial year, the group exported 14 crore pieces of garments to 67 countries of the world.
Beximco Group’s exports were the lowest of the previous three fiscal years among the top ten exporters. The business fell from eighth to ninth place in the previous fiscal year due to its US $ 314.9 million in garment exports.
The Square Group has expanded over the past five years, although slowly. Over the past year, the group’s exports have increased by almost 2 per cent. In the most recent fiscal year, the group exported ready-made clothing valued at US $ 305.6 million, placing this prominent industrial firm among the top 10 exporters.
