The garment manufacturers in Bangladesh are ready to import more cotton from the United States of America provided the latter agrees to offer duty benefits on apparel items made from US cotton, claimed media reports.
As per the report, Md Siddiqur Rahman, President, Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), made this proposal at a meeting with the US Ambassador to Bangladesh Earl R Miller in capital on Sunday.
“Since Bangladesh is the largest importer of cotton, we could import more cotton from the USA. In that case, we need to know what kind of duty benefits the US Government will offer on the export of clothing made of US cotton,” BGMEA President Md Siddiqur Rahman reportedly told the scribes after his meeting with Earl R Miller.
It may be mentioned here that as per Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA), Bangladesh, which does not enjoy duty free market access facility for apparel products in the US, imports nearly 8 million bales of cotton from across the world annually, of which 6.93 per cent is from the USA.
During his meeting, Siddiqur reportedly also informed the US envoy that Bangladeshi spinners are keen to set up spinning mills in the USA, if US grants tariff benefits for RMG made with yarn imported from such factories in the USA.
“I told the US Ambassador that a few spinners showed keen interest to establish spinning mills in your country and they will invest to produce yarn if the US government offers duty benefits for RMG goods exported to the US, made of US cotton,” reportedly underlined the BGMEA President while talking to the press.
Siddiqur reportedly also maintained that duty free market access will ultimately benefit US consumers and increase bilateral trade as well as help Bangladesh in creating more jobs.