UNB, Dhaka :
The duty-free market access of Bangladesh’s readymade garment products to the US market depends on ‘successful completion’ of World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Doha Round, says its Director General Roberto Azevedo here on Tuesday.
“My hope and expectation is we’ll be able to conclude the Doha Round as quickly as possible,” he told reporters at the Commerce Ministry.
Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed and Senior Commerce Secretary Mahbub Ahmed were also present.
Bangladesh now enjoys duty-free access of all its products to almost all developed countries and it enjoys such access for 97 percent of its products to the US except apparel items, the major source of export earnings.
Azevedo, now on a two-day visit here, said the duty-free access of 97 percent products to the developed countries from the least developed countries (LDCs) was established in 2005 declaration of Hong Kong and the target has to be met by the time the Doha Round is concluded.
“The reality was that we didn’t conclude the Doha Round. What we’re trying to do now to conclude the world programme at the end of
the year to finalise the Doha Round as quickly as possible,” said the WTO DG.
Azevedo mentioned that some countries are claiming that they cannot or they need not meet the 97 percent target because the Doha Round is yet to be concluded. “And this is precisely what we’re doing now.”
The other countries that are offering 100 percent, more that 97 percent or close to 97 percent duty-free market access, are undertaking it unilaterally, the WTO DG said.
“That’s their sovereign decision to do so. The countries that don’t feel they can reach the 97 percent now, they can’t reach that target. That’s what happening precisely now,” he added.
Responding to a question, Azevedo said the WTO is not an organisation that forces anything on members rather everything is decided by consensus. “What I’m saying is that I hope with the conclusion of Doha Round that will become an automatic mandate to reach the target.”
