Trade Deficit Decreases by 10%: The trade deficit in July-August of the 2024-25 fiscal year fell to 2.75 billion USD, down from 3.04 billion USD last year.
Export Growth and Reduced Imports: Export earnings rose by 2.5%, while import costs decreased by 1.2%, contributing to the reduced deficit.
Positive Current Account Balance: A rise in remittances helped turn the current account balance positive, with a surplus of 111 million USD, compared to a 610 million USD deficit last year.
In the first two months of the current fiscal year, the country's trade deficit has decreased by nearly 10% compared to the same period of the previous fiscal year.
According to the latest data from the central bank, the trade deficit in July-August of the ongoing 2024-25 fiscal year stood at 2.75 billion USD. In the same period of the previous fiscal year, the deficit was 3.04 billion USD. In other words, the trade deficit decreased by 290 million USD this year.
The Bangladesh Bank reported that this was made possible due to reduced import costs along with an increase in exports.
According to the Bangladesh Bank's data, compared to the same period of the previous year, import costs have decreased by 1.2% to 9.91 billion USD. Meanwhile, export earnings have increased by 2.5% to 7.16 billion USD in the first two months of the current fiscal year, compared to the same period last year.
Another significant factor balancing import costs is the increase in remittances over the past two months, which has led to a positive current account balance for the country.
Moreover, from July to August, the current account surplus reached 111 million USD. In the same period of the previous fiscal year, there was a deficit of 610 million USD.
However, the financial account remains negative. The deficit decreased to 145 million USD in July-August, compared to 1.33 billion USD during the same period last year.