Bangladesh's trade deficit with India hits $7.86 billion

Bangladesh's trade deficit with India hit $7.86 billion in fiscal year 2024-25, making it the largest in South Asia, Commerce Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir informed parliament. The minister detailed that Bangladesh faces trade deficits with four SAARC nations: India, Afghanistan, Bhutan, and Pakistan. Conversely, the country holds trade surpluses with Nepal, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives.

The significant imbalance with India stems from a substantial import bill, particularly for food and industrial raw materials, which outweighs growing exports facilitated by the SAFTA framework. Official data from Bangladesh Bank and the National Board of Revenue confirms this, showing exports to India at $1.76 billion against imports of $9.62 billion.

Trade with Pakistan also shows a deficit, with exports of $74 million and imports of $755.30 million. Smaller deficits were recorded with Afghanistan ($10.71 million) and Bhutan ($29.77 million).

In contrast, trade with Nepal generated a surplus of $29.90 million, with exports reaching $35.40 million. Sri Lanka trade yielded a surplus of $6.25 million, and the Maldives trade resulted in a surplus of $2.85 million. These figures highlight the complex trade dynamics within the South Asian region.

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Bangladesh's largest trade deficit in South Asia is with India, amounting to $7.86 billion in fiscal year 2024-25.