Bangladesh鈥檚 interim government chief adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on Monday sent a letter to United States president Donald Trump, requesting a three-month postponement of the proposed reciprocal tariff measures on Bangladeshi exports to the US.
Bangladesh commerce ministry on the day also sent a letter to the United States Trade Representative, mentioning that reducing duty to zero on 100 import products was under consideration.
The ministry also stated that it was examining ways to eliminate all kinds non-tariff barriers as part of its intention to negotiate the US reciprocal tariffs scheduled to be effective from tomorrow.
In his letter to Trump, the chief adviser mentioned that in return Bangladesh would make a comprehensive set of reforms aimed at significantly increasing US exports to Bangladesh.
A key component of the proposed reforms is a determined effort to boost imports of US agricultural products, including cotton, wheat, corn and soya bean, he said.
鈥楾o increase speed to market US cotton, we are finalising a dedicated bonded warehousing facility in Bangladesh where the item will have duty-free access,鈥� Yunus wrote.
The move comes after Trump announced steep 37 per cent tariff on April 2, triggering alarm in Dhaka over its potential impact on export earnings and jobs in key sectors such as garments and textiles.
In response, Yunus convened an emergency meeting on April 4 at the state guest house Jamuna in the capital Dhaka.
The high-level meeting focused on the implications of the tariff hike and the country鈥檚 strategic responses.
Following the discussions, it was decided that official letter would be sent to the US president requesting urgent negotiations on the issue.
Currently, a 15 per cent duty is imposed on Bangladeshi products in the US market, which is the largest export destination for Bangladesh.
In the letter, Yunus reassured Trump of Bangladesh鈥檚 firm commitment to supporting the US administration鈥檚 trade agenda.
鈥業 write to assure you that we in Bangladesh will take all necessary actions to fully support your trade agenda.鈥�
As evidence of this commitment, Yunus cited Bangladesh鈥檚 multi-year agreement to import liquefied natural gas from the US, made possible by the lifting of the US export permit freeze.
The ongoing collaboration in other sectors has also been initiated, with officials from both countries working to identify further opportunities to expand trade, the letter mentioned.
The chief adviser in his letter said that Bangladesh had demonstrated its willingness to strengthen bilateral trade ties early in Trump鈥檚 presidency.
鈥楽hortly after your inauguration, I sent my high representative to Washington DC to indicate our intent to substantially increase American exports to our fast-growing market of 170 million people,鈥� he wrote, saying that Bangladesh was the first country to take such a pro-active stance.
The chief adviser also underlined Bangladesh鈥檚 already favourable tariff regime for US exports, noting that it offered the lowest tariffs on most US goods in South Asia.
Furthermore, he committed to zero tariffs on select US commodities, including agricultural products and scrap metals, and announced plans to halve duties on key US exports such as gas turbines, semiconductors and medical equipment.
Non-tariff barriers are also being addressed, with the government working to eliminate redundant testing requirements and to simplify packaging, labelling and certification rules, the letter mentioned.
It also said that trade facilitation measures, including streamlined customs procedures and updated standards, were underway as well.
In a nod to broader technological and commercial ties, Yunus said that Bangladesh has taken steps to enable the launch of Starlink, the satellite internet constellation operated by SpaceX.
He said that this move marked 鈥榓 new era for US businesses in Bangladesh鈥� with potential expansions into advanced technology sectors, including civil aviation and defence.
Yunus concluded his letter by urging Trump to allow time for the implementation of these reforms in coordination with US officials.
鈥榃e will complete the ongoing and planned actions within the next quarter,鈥� he said.
鈥業 would therefore like to request you to kindly postpone the application of the reciprocal tariff measure on Bangladesh exports to the US for three months. I most sincerely hope that you will grant this request.鈥�
In the commerce ministry鈥檚 letter to the USTR, Dhaka also assured Washington of making reforms to enhance mutually beneficial trade for both the countries, said commerce adviser Sk Bashiruddin while talking to reporters at the secretariat in the capital Dhaka.
Referring to his meeting with US embassy officials at his office, the commerce adviser said that the interim government wanted to reduce the trade gap between the two countries, which remains in favour of Dhaka.
The new tariff policy has affected almost all the US trading partners, including China, India, Bangladesh, European Union, Cambodia and Laos.
Referring to the commerce ministry letter, officials said that Bangladesh was currently providing duty-free access to 190 products.
Compared with the current 15 per cent tariff by the US, Bangladesh imposes weighted average tariff on US products at 6.1 per cent with raw cotton and steel scrap facing 0 and 1 per cent tariff.
The visiting International Monetary Fund team on Monday held a meeting with commerce secretary Mahbubur Rahman to discuss impacts on the country鈥檚 trade due to the new US tariff policy.
