The new 37 per cent tax on ready-made garment (RMG) exports to the US has caused significant apprehension among the textile manufacturing industry. Leaders in the industry warned that if this duty is maintained without a long-term solution, the industry may have to pay an extra US $ 250 million a month on average.
Nearly 1,000 factories may find it more and more difficult to survive under the weight of such hefty tariffs, industry representatives say. In order to find a long-term solution, they urged the interim administration to hold high-level diplomatic discussions with US officials.
These remarks were made during the inauguration and prayer session for the Sammilita Parishad’s election campaign office for the 2025–2027 BGMEA elections, held at Giant Business Tower in Uttara on 19th April.
The head of the Sammilita Parishad panel, Md. Abul Kalam, praised Chief Adviser Prof. Muhammad Yunus for contacting former US President Donald Trump about the issue and praised the tariff’s temporary 90-day suspension as a good step. He did, however, stress that the lack of a long-term solution is still a serious worry. “We implore Prof. Yunus to keep up his diplomatic initiatives and speak with US officials directly. Our industry will have to pay an additional US $ 250 million in duties every month unless the levy is completely eliminated,” Kalam said. He added that a lot of purchasers, who have historically paid for tariffs, are now passing these expenses on to suppliers, which puts additional pressure on producers.
Former BGMEA president and current Sammilita Parishad Chief Coordinator Faruque Hassan emphasised the sector’s advancements, which are fuelled by the organization’s leadership. In order to support further growth, he also advised the government to apply for a minimum three-year extension of Bangladesh’s Least Developed Country (LDC) designation.
Sammilita Parishad President Quazi Moniruzzaman urged cooperation from all parties involved in order to guarantee victory in the next BGMEA elections.
Abrar Hossain Sayem, President of the Bangladesh Apparel Youth Leaders Association (BAYLA), Asif Ashraf from the BGMEA Advisory Committee, Mofazzal Hossain Pavel, President of the Bangladesh Garments Buying House Association, and BNP leader Zainul Abdin Farroque were among the other prominent speakers.
