Ctg port imports rise 9.52% in October, exports dip again

Chattogram Port, the country’s principal maritime hub, recorded a 9.52% increase in imports in October compared to September, even as exports fell for the second consecutive month amid global trade uncertainties.
According to data from the Chattogram Port Authority (CPA), import cargo climbed to 11.65 mn metric tons in October from 10.63 mn tons in September. Imports had earlier grown 4.43% in September from 10.18 mn tons in August, signalling steady recovery since late summer.
Exports, however, continued their downward trend, falling 3.27% to 0.72 mn metric tons in October from 0.74 mn tons in September. The figure had dropped 13.14% in September from 0.85 mn tons in August, marking two consecutive months of contraction.
Over the first 10 months of 2025, the port handled a total of 115.07 mn metric tons of cargo — including 107.86 mn tons of imports and 7.21 mn tons of exports — across 3,552 vessel calls.
More than 80% of exported goods comprised ready-made garments, while the remainder included jute, leather, frozen food, vegetables, and other items. Export shipments are typically processed through 21 private inland container depots (ICDs) in Chattogram.
Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) Director Rakibul Alam Chowdhury said both orders and export prices have declined after the recent US tariff announcement. “It has become hard to survive in the current global competition,” he said.
Commenting on the surge in imports, Seacom Group Chairman Amirul Haque said, “Imports of essential products such as sugar, edible oil, chickpeas, and other food items have surged ahead of Ramadan, leading to increased handling of imported goods at the port over the past three months. Additionally, imports of raw materials for ready-made garments have also risen, anticipating demand for the Christmas season.”
With imports picking up, vessel arrivals rose notably in October. A total of 391 ships docked at Chattogram Port during the month, up 9.5% from 357 in September. Between January and October, 3,552 vessels arrived, with monthly traffic ranging from 322 in June to a peak of 393 in March.
However, container handling continued to decline. The port handled 0.29 mn twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in October, down 8.39% from 0.31 mn in September, following a 4.35% drop the previous month from 0.33 mn in August.
Between January and October 2025, the port handled 2.85 mn TEUs — 1.56 mn import containers and 1.29 mn export containers — with officials noting that more than half of the export containers were empty.
In 2024, Chattogram Port managed 124 mn metric tons of cargo, 3.28 mn TEUs, and 3,867 ships, compared to 120.2 mn tons, 3.05 mn TEUs, and 4,103 ships in 2023. In 2022, cargo volume stood at 119.7 mn tons, with 3.14 mn TEUs and 4,361 ships handled.
Officials said around 92% of the country’s import and export activities take place through Chattogram Port, which also handles nearly 98% of all container traffic in Bangladesh.