EXPORT PERFORMANCE OF THREE MAJOR SECTORS AND A VIEW ON EXPORT CONCENTRATION: A STUDY ON BANGLADESH

Bangladeshs export earning has significantly increased over a period of time. Readymade garments (RMG), jute, and leather are the top three export earning sectors. This paper uses a multiple linear regression model to explain the relationship between total exports, and the top three export earning sectors. This paper finds Bangladeshs export performance is highly dependent on the RMG sector while Bangladesh has a comparative advantage for many other sectors in the global market. On the other hand, Bangladeshs export market is also concentrated with few countries. Less diversification in products and markets is a great concern for the export economy of Bangladesh because competition in the global export market is always rising. In such a situation there is no other way to emphasize product diversification and explore new markets to reduce high dependency on a few big markets.