Bangladesh to push for deeper tariff cuts in talks with US

The Trump administration sent the first tranche of letters to various countries on Monday, detailing the levies that the US will impose on products from them.

Bangladesh will hold further negotiations with the United States to push for deeper tariff cuts, even as US President Donald Trump slapped a 35% levy on goods from the South Asian nation.

Officials are scheduled to hold crucial trade negotiations with the Trump administration from July 9-10 to seek a solution, Commerce Adviser to the interim government Sk. Bashir Uddin said in an interview from Washington.

“We will give and try our best to find mutually win-win proposition,” he said, adding that the goal is to find a “common ground.”

Dhaka is reviewing the draft documents from the US trade representative and will assess the way ahead, said Uddin, who is also heading the delegation. “This is an uncertain world,” he said, referring to the challenges ahead in talks with the US.

The Trump administration sent the first tranche of letters to various countries on Monday, detailing the levies that the US will impose on products from them. While the tariff on Bangladesh is slightly lower than the 37% proposed earlier, it still risks hurting the nation’s already fragile economy and its garment exports.

The South Asian nation’s main rival in the ready-made garment sector, Vietnam, secured a more favorable 20% tariff, placing Bangladesh at a competitive disadvantage.

The upcoming discussions offer a pathway, said analysts at Dhaka-based BRAC EPL Research. “Proactive diplomacy could still yield positive outcomes,” they added.