The practice of double fumigation of cotton imported from USA to exterminate any contamination has been opposed by traders of Bangladesh and USA, respectively, who underlined this practice as a major non-tariff barrier in trade between the two countries.
The process of double fumigation reportedly involves fumigation of the raw material at warehouses prior to shipment and also at destination port of the consignment. As per Director of Malek Spinning Mills, A Matin Chowdhury, who met a Cotton USA delegation at his Gazipur factory recently, around US $1 million was spent on fumigation process at the Chittagong Port last year alone.
As per Chowdhury, this practice is not only expensive but time consuming as well.
As per media reports, currently cotton imported from USA only undergoes the chemical therapy.
“Fumigation of US cotton in Bangladeshi ports is a major non-tariff barrier in trade between Bangladesh and the US,” maintained Director of Supply Chain Marketing for South and Southeast Asia of the Cotton Council International and the Cotton USA William R. Bettendorf, adding, “We have already contacted different Government bodies several times for the withdrawal of the system but still nothing happened,” he said.
Both Chowdhury and Bettendorf claimed that such a practice is not required as many teams have tested US cotton several times but found no harmful insect.
Bettendorf also underlined that American farmers and traders use modern ginning techniques so that the cotton does not pick up any contaminant during shipment and use at mills.
Bharat Tex Special Report 2026 
