Washington DC, July 30 (V7N) – Bangladesh has received a positive indication from the United States regarding the reduction of tariffs imposed on Bangladeshi products, according to Commerce Secretary Mahbubur Rahman.

Speaking after the first day of the third round of Bangladesh-US tariff talks in Washington on Tuesday (local time), the Commerce Secretary said,

“We held productive discussions with the US side as per our agenda. From the response of the US Trade Representative’s Office, we have the impression that a tariff reduction is very likely.”

Although specific figures were not disclosed, Mahbubur Rahman added,

“The reduction will be significant, but I cannot say exactly how much at this stage. However, we are hopeful that a positive outcome will emerge after tomorrow’s meeting.”

Details of the Meeting

The formal discussions on Day 1 were held from 12:30 pm to 5:30 pm local time in Washington. An informal session was also held earlier in the day.

The Bangladesh delegation is led by Trade Advisor Sheikh Bashiruddin and includes:

  • National Security Advisor & Rohingya High Representative Dr. Khalilur Rahman

  • Commerce Secretary Mahbubur Rahman

  • Additional Commerce Secretary Dr. Nazneen Kawsar Chowdhury

Officials from various ministries joined virtually from Dhaka.

The US delegation is led by Assistant Trade Representative Brendan Lynch, accompanied by other trade and customs officials. The Bangladesh Embassy in Washington, DC is overseeing the coordination of the entire negotiation process.

Background

This third round of negotiations follows growing concerns over counter-tariffs imposed by the US, affecting Bangladesh’s export competitiveness in key sectors like textiles, apparel, and leather goods. Bangladesh has been pushing for preferential treatment in line with its Least Developed Country (LDC) status and its upcoming graduation to a developing country.

Further updates are expected after the conclusion of Day 2 of the discussions on Wednesday.

END/RH/AJ