Officials of the United States Trade Representative under the Trump administration held virtual meetings with Bangladeshi political leaders on Friday to discuss tariff-related issues and explore ways to strengthen bilateral trade ties.
The US delegation, led by US Trade Representative Ambassador Jamieson Greer, held a virtual meeting with Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairperson Tarique Rahman and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami chief Shafiqur Rahman.
Citing Saleh Shibly, press secretary to the BNP chairperson, the BNP media cell said that Tarique Rahman and a BNP representative joined the virtual meeting from Dhaka at around 9:00 am, while the US delegation participated from Washington, DC.
During the meeting, Tarique Rahman emphasised the importance of deepening trade engagement and developing broader cooperation in areas of mutual interest to further enhance Bangladesh–US economic ties.
From the BNP side, Humaiun Kabir, joint secretary general and foreign affairs adviser to the BNP chairperson, also joined the discussion.
In April, the US imposed sharply higher reciprocal tariffs on several countries, including Bangladesh, and raised the duty on apparel shipments to the US to 37 per cent. The tariff was later lowered to 35 per cent and then to 20 per cent, following a series of negotiations on July 31.
Since August 7, Bangladeshi apparel items have faced a 20 per cent reciprocal tariff, in addition to the regular 16.5 per cent tariff.
In a separate virtual meeting with USTR Ambassador Jamieson Greer, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami ameer Shafiqur Rahman discussed bilateral trade, reciprocal tariffs, and future economic cooperation between Bangladesh and the United States.
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami’s US spokesperson Mohammad Nakibur Rahman also joined the meeting.
Shafiqur Rahman expressed gratitude to Greer for his cooperation regarding discussions on reciprocal tariff issues involving Bangladesh, according to a media release issued by the party.
At the meeting, Greer informed Shafiqur Rahman that he had personally met US President Donald Trump last week to discuss reducing reciprocal tariffs on Bangladesh.
The Jamaat ameer also thanked the United States for its move to consider special tariff facilities for garments manufactured using 100 per cent US cotton or US-produced man-made fibres.
Describing the proposal as a ‘win-win’ formula, Rahman said it would boost Bangladesh’s garment exports while simultaneously benefiting the US agriculture and industrial sectors.
Shafiqur Rahman said that the reciprocal tariff arrangement had laid a strong foundation for improving bilateral trade and economic relations between the two countries.
He said that Bangladesh had already begun implementing key aspects of the agreement and was taking special measures to reduce the trade deficit between the two nations.
He further said that if Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami forms the government after the national election scheduled for February, his party would continue to implement the agreement in full and work sincerely to deepen trade and investment relations with the United States.
Rahman also welcomed Ambassador Greer’s support for Bangladesh’s access to funds from the US Development Finance Corporation, saying that opportunities for DFC financing in private sector investment would be a highly effective tool for rapidly expanding bilateral trade and investment between Bangladesh and the US.
At the conclusion of the meeting, Shafiqur Rahman invited Ambassador Jamieson Greer to visit Bangladesh, expressing hope that such a visit would further strengthen mutual understanding and partnership between the two countries.
During both meetings, participants on the US side included assistant USTR for South and Central Asia Brendan Lynch, director Emily Ashby, deputy assistant USTR Rick Switzer, USTR chief of staff Sam Mulopolous, and senior policy adviser to the deputy USTR DR Seckinger.
