Staff Reporter :
“The United States did not give duty free access to Bangladesh for the export of its products to the country,” Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed said refuting US Ambassador Dan W Mozena’s claim regarding ‘zero tariff award’ to Bangladesh.
“The US Ambassador’s claim that Bangladesh pays ‘zero tariff’ to US market is totally a ‘false statement’….. The US never provided us duty free access despite repeated requests,” the Minister said while addressing a programme at CIRDAP auditorium on Wednesday.
Country’s business leaders including, President of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry [FBCCI] Kazi Akram Uddin Ahmed and President of the Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry [DCCI] Mohammad Shahjahan Khan were present at that time.
The Commerce Minister said, “Mozena issued statement apparently undermining our country [Bangladesh]. We are paying ‘duty’ each and every year.”
“They [US] had provided Bangladesh only with US$ 24m GSP facilities. But this privilege has also been suspended by them. In last three years, Bangladesh paid $ 3.41bn duty to US and $ 828mn each year,” Tofail Ahmed mentioned.
The Minister said, “We get duty free facilities from Australia, Canada, India, Japan and European Union, but the US doesn’t give us duty free access.” “So far as I know, the US provides ‘zero duty’ for the products of Sub-Saharan African countries, not to Bangladesh. I think, a conspiracy is going on against Bangladesh’s RMG sector as it is the second largest exporter in the globe,” he said. “The US had imposed 16 conditions on us after the Rana Plaza tragedy. We have forwarded report to the USTR after fulfilling those conditions. But now they are saying that we have to do more things. In fact, their conditions will not end.” “Bangladesh is moving ahead and we will become a middle income country by 2021. The day is not far when Bangladesh will not want anything from anybody,” the Minister added expressing optimism.
