Bangladesh urges US to provide duty, quota free access on RMG items

Bangladesh has urged the United States to provide duty-free and quota-free access to Bangladeshi RMG items made from US cotton.

Bangladesh also demanded that the US government create export opportunities for Bangladeshi products like pharmaceuticals, and ceramics apart from RMG as well as simplify further the registration process of pharmaceuticals.

The demands were placed at a US-Bangladesh TICFA Intercessional Meeting held at the Ministry of Commerce conference room at Bangladesh Secretariat in Dhaka on Sunday, reports BSS.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, the head of the Bangladesh delegation and Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce Tapan Kanti Ghosh said that the RMG industry of Bangladesh is now more compliant than in the past.

"The workers in the RMG industry represent the poor community. If the USA wants to contribute towards improving the living standards of this section of people, then the USA can provide duty-free access," he added.

Citing that the USA has kept intact the duty-free and quota-free access of the products of LDCs of Africa, Tapan said such countries in Asia can also avail of such facility.

The Commerce Secretary said that the government has already improved the labour condition and brought necessary legal reforms. "We've raised our arguments in the meeting that the Bangladeshi RMG items are worthy of getting duty-free access in the US market in overall consideration," he added.

Tapan said the government has also sought technological support from the US in boosting farm production alongside improving the preservation system.

Besides, he said the government has also sought support in standard certification in exporting agricultural items and ensuring necessary accreditation.