bdnews24.com :
A member of the US Congress has written to major US apparel buyers, asking them to help Bangladesh’s readymade garment owners improve factory safety and security.
The foreign ministry on Sunday said Grace Meng, member of the Congress from the sixth district of New York, told the Bangladesh’s permanent representative at the UN during a “special meeting” in New York on Thursday that she had written to 15 such buyers.
She also asked Ambassador AK Abdul Momen about steps formulated by US garment buyers to improve safety standards in Bangladesh’s apparel factories.
Meng promised to raise the issue with the authorities about Bangladesh’s concern over the payment of 16 percent tariff for readymade clothes exports and try to find a way out.
Ambassador Momen told Meng that despite being an LDC, Bangladesh was being made to pay 16-32 percent tariff to the US market, whereas developed countries pay only 0.5 percent to 2 percent or in cases have to pay no duty altogether.
