Bangladesh envoy urges US to restore trade privilege

Three members of the US Congress have assured that they will help Bangladesh get back the generalised system of preferences in the American market, according to a statement from the Bangladesh mission in Washington DC.

The assurance came when Mohammad Ziauddin, the Bangladesh ambassador to the US, met Congressman Peter T King, who is co-chair of the Bangladesh Caucus in the US Congress, and two Congresswomen -- Carolyn Maloney and Grace Meng -- in New York on Tuesday.

"The Congressmen expressed their keen willingness to stand beside Bangladesh for the restoration of the GSP facility and subsequent duty- and quota-free access of Bangladeshi products to the US market," the statement said.

Ziauddin informed them that the Bangladesh government has made progress in the fields of worker rights and safety in the garment sector, which manifests a changing approach and mindset in governance.

The Bangladesh ambassador urged the US government to restore the trade privilege in recognition of the immense developments in worker rights and safety in the last two years.

Bangladesh would like to face the rest of the challenges through a sustained partnership with the US, Ziauddin told the Congress members. 

Bangladesh, as a least developed country, does not enjoy any 'special or deferential' treatment from the US in terms of trade, the ambassador said.

Preferential treatment for trans-pacific partners may chip away the competitive edge of a country like Bangladesh in the US market, he added.

Bangladesh's apparel products are subject to high tariff in the US market as opposed to zero tariff for almost all developed countries.