Imports Gradually Begin to Rise

Imports, which declined at the beginning of the current fiscal year (2026–27), have gradually started to increase. During the first three months of the fiscal year, cargo, container and vessel handling at Chittagong Port all declined. However, cargo and vessel handling recorded some growth in October, while container handling continued to follow a downward trend. The decline in imports has also put pressure on revenue collection at Chittagong Customs House, the country’s largest revenue-collecting customs station. In the first four months of the fiscal year, revenue collection fell Tk 14,689 crore short of the target.

According to importers and exporters, high inflation has reduced people’s purchasing power and market demand. As a result, imports of luxury goods have declined, while imports of essential and consumer goods have remained relatively strong. This has had a negative impact on imports and revenue collection. At the same time, energy shortages, disruptions in supply chains and higher import costs are putting additional pressure on industries and businesses. A slowdown in development and investment activities has also reduced imports of capital machinery and other equipment.

However, imports of consumer goods, spices and fruits are increasing ahead of the holy month of Ramadan. To facilitate imports, Bangladesh Bank has already relaxed letter of credit (LC) margin requirements for several products. Importers have also been allowed to import 11 essential commodities for Ramadan on deferred payment terms. Related persons believe these measures will help boost imports in the coming months.

Container handling at Chittagong Port fell by nearly 7 percent in the first four months of the current fiscal year compared with the same period of the previous fiscal year. An analysis of port data shows that monthly container handling has declined consistently since the beginning of the current fiscal year.

During the first four months, the port handled 1,141,179 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of containers, compared with 1,213,805 TEUs during the same period of the previous fiscal year. This represents a decline of 72,626 TEUs.

The port handled 298,601 TEUs of containers in July, the first month of the current fiscal year. The figure fell to 285,424 TEUs in August and declined further to 279,253 TEUs in September. In October, container handling dropped again to 277,901 TEUs.

According to port data, cargo handling increased slightly during the first four months compared with the same period of the previous fiscal year. The port handled 45.35 million metric tonnes of cargo during the period, compared with 45.28 million metric tonnes in the corresponding period last year.

The number of vessels handled also increased by three. Chittagong Port handled 1,425 vessels during the first four months of the current fiscal year, compared with 1,422 vessels during the same period last year. Port officials said cargo handling had declined at the beginning of the fiscal year but gradually recovered. The port handled 10.87 million metric tonnes of cargo in July, which increased to 11.37 million metric tonnes in August and 12.08 million metric tonnes in September. However, cargo handling fell slightly to 11.82 million metric tonnes in October.

The decline in imports has also affected revenue collection at Chittagong Customs House. In October this year, customs authorities assessed duties on 7.549 million tonnes of imported goods brought through Chittagong Port, valued at Tk 40,911 crore. In the same month last year, the volume of goods assessed was 9.165 million tonnes, valued at Tk 45,727 crore.

Thus, compared with the same month last year, the volume of goods assessed for customs duties declined by around 17.6 percent, while their value fell by 10.5 percent. In September, Chittagong Customs House assessed duties on 9.083 million tonnes of goods worth Tk 48,623 crore. In October, the volume fell to 7.549 million tonnes, while the assessed value dropped to Tk 40,911 crore. This represents a month-on-month decline of around 16.9 percent in volume and 15.9 percent in value, further widening the revenue shortfall at the customs house.

Chittagong Customs House collected Tk 27,948 crore in revenue during the first four months of the current fiscal year, against a target of Tk 42,637 crore for the period. As a result, the revenue shortfall stood at Tk 14,689 crore.

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has set a total revenue collection target of Tk 1.32 lakh crore for Chittagong Customs House in the current fiscal year. Customs officials believe that achieving the annual target will become difficult if the downward trend in imports continues.