DHAKA, Feb 18: China has overtaken India as a major exporter to Bangladesh. This was revealed in the latest country-wise import figures available with the commerce ministry of Bangladesh.

The July-September import figures of the current financial year show that Bangladesh imported goods worth about Tk3,2130.96 million from China.

India’s exports to Bangladesh during the period was worth about Tk2,7080.16 million, about Tk500 less than the figure of Bangladesh’s import from China.

“It is for the first time China has overtaken India in exports to Bangladesh,” said a commerce ministry official. India earlier topped the list.

The first-quarter import statistics show Bangladesh imported mostly capital machinery, textiles, chemicals, base metal articles and iron products, clinical, surgical and musical instrument, footwear, honey, and motor vehicle spares from China and India.

The ministry official said China had gradually been increasing its dominance in the Bangladesh market and finally elevated at the top position in the first quarter of current fiscal.

In 2001-02 fiscal, China was the third largest exporter to Bangladesh, lagging behind India and Singapore.

But growth of Bangladesh’s imports from China rose significantly in the past years compared to India and finally exceeded India in the first quarter of current fiscal.

“Analysing the trend of the previous fiscal years, it is obvious that china is going to become the major import nation for Bangladesh outplaying India,” said a commerce ministry official adding that China is likely to retain its top position in the current fiscal if the import trend goes like the first quarter.