The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) has formally requested Bangladesh to submit a written proposal to initiate negotiations on reciprocal tariffs. USTR indicated that official talks will commence once the Bangladesh Government provides a detailed proposal.
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer conveyed this message in a letter addressed to Bangladesh’s trade adviser Sheikh Bashir Uddin. The exchange follows a previous letter from the trade adviser in April, expressing Bangladesh’s interest in reducing the trade deficit with the US and its willingness to engage in discussions.
Sheikh Bashir Uddin confirmed receipt of Greer’s letter on Saturday, stating that the Government and the Ministry of Commerce have been actively working on this issue with great seriousness.
In his letter, Greer appreciated Bangladesh’s proactive response to the US counter-tariff measures and expressed the USTR’s readiness to discuss ways to lower the bilateral trade deficit.
The trade adviser previously informed Greer that 190 products in Bangladesh’s tariff list are currently duty-free, and Bangladesh is considering adding 100 more products to this list. The move aims to mitigate the impact of the minimum 10 per cent countervailing duty imposed by former US President Donald Trump’s administration, which has already affected Bangladeshi exporters. Many US buyers are deducting half or the entire additional duty from payments to Bangladeshi exporters.
In response to the countervailing duties, the US Government is engaging with 18 key trading partners, including China, India, Vietnam, the UK, Canada, the European Union, Japan, and South Korea, to discuss potential measures and frameworks for ongoing negotiations.
