Refayet Ullah Mirdha

In the budget for FY26, the government has proposed reducing import duties on certain goods and amending trade rules to enhance competitiveness in preparation for the country’s impending graduation from the list of least developed countries (LDCs).

Five American trade bodies wrote joint letter to Trump

Although tanners have voiced opposition, the government will allow rawhide exports during the Eid-ul-Azha season with the aim of fostering demand and ensuring better prices for traders at the field level, Commerce Secretary Mahbubur Rahman said yesterday.

American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA), the US’s largest trade body in the apparel and footwear sector, and the Fair Labour Association (FLA) tied Bangladesh’s efforts to improve labour rights to ensure successful tariff negotiation with the Trump administration.

The association urges the interim government to send a letter to India seeking the opportunity

Bangladesh does not want any further escalation in tension with India, as the recent retaliatory moves are affecting bilateral trade

The commerce ministry has convened an inter-ministerial meeting today to work out ways to address India’s restrictions on imports from Bangladesh through land ports.

"This sudden decision could severely disrupt bilateral trade"

Global fashion brands are reaping triple-digit profits on Bangladeshi garments, buying at $3 and selling for three to four times more. Yet, they continue to pressure factories to cut prices further.

Bangladesh should improve garment quality and delivery speed amidst intense competition in global supply chains arising from US President Donald Trump’s recent reciprocal tariffs, said some international traders yesterday..Bangladesh has the opportunity to retain its competitive edge due t

Bangladesh will propose lowering the import tariff for certain American goods and increasing the volume of imports of some items as part of the efforts to narrow the trade gap with the US, which elicited a fresh 37 percent reciprocal tariff from the Trump administration.

Building a warehouse facility in Bangladesh for US soybean products can boost its import and help reduce the bilateral trade gap, Bangladeshi traders said at the Sustainasummit and Aqua Tech Talks in Sri Lanka.

Bangladeshi traders say at global summit in Sri Lanka

The country’s flagship textiles and readymade garments (RMG) industries are reeling from a crippling gas crisis, threatening an estimated $70 billion in investments amid mounting global trade uncertainty over new US tariffs.

Bangladesh will send the work plan to the United States Trade Representative (USTR) within the next week to reduce the trade gap as part of the efforts to bring down Trump’s reciprocal tariff, currently on pause until July 9.

In a first move to address the shortfall, Sylhet's Osmani International Airport is set to launch dedicated cargo operations today

The United States Trade Representative (USTR), the US government’s chief trade negotiation body, wants to see Bangladesh’s work plan on narrowing the bilateral trade gap before the Trump administration makes a call on reciprocal tariffs.

Local suppliers have secured adequate work orders from US clothing retailers and brands to stay busy until Christmas at the end of this year, although the shipments are likely to be subject to Trump’s reciprocal tariffs.

Safety standards in Bangladesh’s garment sector saw a marked improvement after the disastrous Rana Plaza collapse in 2013, but there is still a need for other sectors to improve in this regard, Labour Reform Commission chairman Syed Sultan Uddin Ahmed said in an interview yesterday.

Bangladesh's limited trade diplomacy, coupled with its slower shift towards value-added production, could allow Vietnam to surpass it in global rankings