Assessing the impact of COVID-19 on product-level comparative advantage in Bangladesh's apparel exports

Purpose This study aims to examine how Bangladesh's apparel export competitiveness changed during the COVID-19 period across Harmonized System (HS) Chapters 61 and 62. Design/methodology/approach The study uses a quantitative, indicator-based design with United Nations (UN) Comtrade product-level trade data for 2017–2022. Competitiveness is assessed at the two- and four-digit product category levels within HS Chapters 61 and 62 using compound annual growth rate (CAGR), market share (MS), revealed comparative advantage (RCA), scaled normalized revealed comparative advantage (NRCA), revealed symmetric comparative advantage (RSCA) and trade balance index (TBI). Annual indicators provide the primary basis for interpretation, while monthly NRCA is used only as supplementary descriptive evidence of timing. Findings The results indicate that Bangladesh's apparel export performance did not follow a uniform pattern during the COVID-19 period. HS 61 and HS 62 retained a comparative advantage at the aggregate level, although a temporary weakening appeared in 2020. At the HS four-digit level, some categories showed declines in nominal export growth, market share and comparative-advantage indicators, while others remained comparatively stable or recovered after 2020. Stronger indicator performance was concentrated in core export categories, while several smaller and accessory-related categories showed weaker comparative and net-export positions. Research limitations/implications The study is based on descriptive, macro-level trade indicators and does not identify firm-level, supply-chain or causal mechanisms. Future research may use deflated values, quantity-based measures, seasonally adjusted monthly analysis and cross-country comparisons. Originality/value The study contributes to research on COVID-19 apparel trade by providing a disaggregated, product-level analysis of Bangladesh's export competitiveness. It applies established trade indicators within a crisis-sensitive global value chain perspective to examine differentiated product-level trade performance patterns.