Bangladesh is awaiting a response from the United States regarding a letter it sent requesting a reduction in the recently imposed tariff on Bangladeshi products, Commerce Adviser Sk Bashir Uddin said on Thursday.
“We sent a letter to the US Commerce Secretary the day before yesterday outlining our position. We are now waiting for a reply—and an invitation. Once we receive both, InshaAllah, we will proceed with our negotiation team,” he told reporters responding to a question over the issue at the Secretariat.
An online meeting between the Bangladesh government and the United States Department of Commerce is scheduled for Friday (July 25), he said.
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Regarding the looming August 1 deadline for the new tariff to take effect, he said, “This issue is important not only for us but also for the United States. Our efforts are going on with due dynamism. We have clearly presented our position and are awaiting a formal response. As soon as we receive the invitation, we’ll go there.”
Asked about the government’s expectations, Bashir Uddin said they are hopeful and doing what is needed to be done for a positive outcome.
About the demand from business leaders to appoint a lobbyist in the USA, the adviser said the government has not appointed any lobbyist.
He added that many of the necessary policy adjustments involve complex inter-ministerial legal processes.
“Only we understand what needs to change in our systems. A lobbyist may not be equipped to grasp or handle that. We've been working day and night for the last 15 days. Almost every relevant ministry is involved. We’ve conveyed our position and hope to proceed upon receiving the invitation," he said.
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“Once the online meeting is held, things will move forward. The fact that we’ve been offered an online meeting based on our letter shows that the process is active,” he said, responding to another question.
Despite two rounds of discussions on the issue there has been no breakthrough yet.
On July 8, US President Donald Trump informed Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus in a letter that the new 35% tariff on Bangladeshi products would take effect from August 1.