Bangladesh to seek duty-free access to US market

Bangladesh is planning to seek duty-free market access to the United States in upcoming meetings with a high-profile trade delegation of the Western superpower next week.

The delegation is set to arrive in Dhaka tomorrow on a four-day visit to discuss bilateral trade and investment, according to sources at the commerce ministry and foreign ministry

Brian Luti, director for South Asia Regional Affairs at National Security Council, The White House, will lead the 10-member delegation for a visit from May 20 to May 24, they said.

The US, one of Bangladesh’s top export destinations, has been expressing concern at the state of labour in Bangladesh. Experts have said it is important to bring changes to Bangladesh’s labour related laws and regulations if the country wants a sustainable trade relationship with the Western superpower in the future.

Sources said Bangladesh plans to address and alleviate all concerns of the US in these regards during the meetings with the delegation.

Officials familiar with the matter said the US team will hold a meeting with Senior Commerce Secretary Tapan Kanti Ghosh on May 21. Officials from agriculture ministry, ICT Division, labour and employment ministry and other agencies concerned will attend the meeting.

Besides, the US delegation will also meet with the leaders of the trade bodies, including the Federation of Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industries, the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, and labour organisations.

According to commerce ministry sources, the visiting delegation will discuss general issues related to trade and investment with the senior commerce secretary. The foreign delegation will stress on the issue of ensuring international standards of labour law.

Bangladesh will highlight the progress made in ensuring labour rights to the US team, sources added.

Moreover, the Bangladesh team will discuss increasing cotton imports from the United States. They will seek duty-free market facility for garments made from cotton imported from the US. In addition, US investment and cooperation in agriculture will also be discussed at the meetings. The Bangladesh team is also expected to call on the United States to restore the GSP facility for the South Asian country.

The US suspended the GSP facility for Bangladesh following the Tazreen and Rana Plaza fire incidents. Although Bangladesh has made significant strides in regards to infrastructure and fire safety in the ready-made garment (RMG) sector, the world’s biggest economy is yet to restore the special trade facility. US officials have repeatedly expressed concerns about the freedom of association and collective bargaining, forced labour, child labour, workplace safety, occupational discrimination, workers’ health and safety, right to form unions, acceptable terms and conditions at work and working hours.

The US will seek full implementation of international labour law standards in Bangladesh, according to sources.

Foreign ministry sources said Bangladesh has already highlighted the progress made in regards to the labour situation in the country in a recent bilateral partnership dialogue. Bangladesh had invited US officials to visit the country in that meeting for more detailed discussions regarding the matter. The US delegation is coming to Dhaka following the invitation.

Meanwhile, the US team is also expected to delve into the issue of export of fake products from Bangladesh in the meetings. They are expected to discuss intellectual property law as well. Washington has already informed Dhaka about this.

However, Bangladesh is already enjoying the benefit of the waiver of Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPs) in patent rights from the World Trade Organization for being a least developed country.