The much-awaited preferential trade agreement (PTA) between Bhutan and Bangladesh, aimed at giving a boost to bilateral trade, is likely to be signed in December this year.
This was maintained in a media report, which quoted a senior official in this regard.
“It is pandemic time now. The signing could be held virtually or physically but it is yet to be finalised,” reportedly maintained the official while adding that both Thimpu and Dhaka have got go-aheads from the respective cabinets to sign the PTA and Commerce Minister of Bhutan and Bangladesh would be signing the deal on behalf of their respective countries.
We see opportunities everywhere, especially when it’s within our South Asian region, reportedly underlined the President of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) earlier to the media while discussing the issue of PTA with Bhutan and added that the two-way trade between Bangladesh and Bhutan was US $ 57.9 million in fiscal 2018-19 and Bangladesh exported garment items more than US $ 300,000 to Bhutan at 30 per cent duty.
“It will be a remarkable deal; we are preparing to sign the PTA with Bhutan on 6 December,” meanwhile, reportedly, said Commerce Secretary Md. Jafar Uddin to the media.
It may be mentioned here, under the new deal, 34 Bhutanese items, including 16 fresh goods, will also enjoy duty-free access to the Bangladesh while 100 Bangladeshi products, including 10 new goods, will enjoy duty-free access to the Bhutanese market.