The initial day of the second round of tariff negotiations between Bangladesh and the United States has been described as ‘very comprehensive’ by the Chief Adviser’s (CA) office, according to a statement issued Thursday.
The three-day talks, which began on Thursday in Washington D.C., aim to address key aspects of trade relations amid ongoing tariff disputes. The discussions concluded a few hours after they commenced, with officials from both nations engaging in extensive deliberations.
The current round follows the US Trump administration’s announcement to impose a 35% tariff on Bangladeshi goods starting 1st August. This rate represents a slight reduction from the initially proposed 37%, but remains significantly higher than the 20% duty anticipated by Bangladeshi officials, sparking concerns among local exporters.
Bangladesh’s delegation is led by Commerce Adviser Sk Bashir Uddin. Joining virtually from Dhaka are National Security Adviser Khalilur Rahman and Faiz Ahmad Tayeb, the Chief Adviser’s Special Assistant on ICT and Telecommunications. Senior officials from Bangladesh’s commerce ministry are also participating in the discussions.
On the American side, representatives from agencies overseeing agriculture, energy, commerce, and copyright are involved, indicating a broad scope of engagement.
The talks are scheduled to continue with a session at 9 pm Bangladesh time on Thursday, with further discussions planned for Friday. Both sides aim to reach mutually agreeable solutions to ease trade tensions and address the tariff concerns impacting Bangladesh’s exports.
