Bangladesh and the United States (US) have begun final-stage negotiations in Washington today to reach a resolution on the proposed Reciprocal Tariff Agreement, a crucial issue impacting Bangladesh’s largest single-country export destination.
Commerce Adviser Sk Bashir Uddin departed Dhaka yesterday evening to lead Bangladesh’s delegation in the high-level discussions with the United States Trade Representative (USTR).
The two-day talks follow a meeting held on 26 June where the USTR reportedly rejected Bangladesh’s proposal to cap tariff rates on its exports to the US at 10%.
During that meeting, Bangladesh also requested a tariff schedule from the USTR outlining which US products would receive duty-free access to the Bangladeshi market. However, as of Wednesday evening, the US had yet to provide the requested list, said Commerce Secretary Mahbubur Rahman.
“In the absence of the US tariff schedule, negotiations will move forward based on the draft Reciprocal Tariff Agreement previously shared by the US,” he said. “The commerce adviser is now in the US to carry on negotiations. We are very much on track and will continue discussions until the last moment to reach a resolution.”
The urgency of the negotiations stems from US President Donald Trump’s decision on 2 April to impose elevated reciprocal tariffs on Bangladesh and several other nations. Although the tariffs were suspended for three months, the exemption is set to expire on 9 July, placing added pressure on both sides to finalise a deal.
LND/MSA
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