Kazi Zahidul Hasan :The United States of America (USA) remained the top destination for Bangladesh’s exports in immediate past fiscal, followed by Germany, the UK, Spain, France, Italy and Canada.In the fiscal year 2015-16, Bangladesh’s exports to the USA stood at US$ 6.20 billion or 18.17 per cent of total exports, registering 7.55 per cent year-on-year growth, according to Bangladesh Export Promotion Bureau (EPB).Besides, its exports to Germany totalled US$4.98 billion, the UK US$3.80 billion, Spain US$1.99 billion, France US$1.85 billion, Italy US$1.38 billion and Canada US1.11 billion during the period under review.”The USA has been the single largest buyer of Bangladeshi goods over the years as the American buyers prefer local products due to their cheaper prices,” Abdus Salam Murshedy, President of the Exporters Association of Bangladesh (EAB) told The New Nation on Saturday.”Our exports to the market valued at US$6.20 billion in the last fiscal and 90 per cent of its purchase was garments item,” he added.When asked, the EAB President said, “Our shipments to the American market registered nearly 8.0 per cent year-on year growth which is ‘not bad’ if we consider the current condition of the US economy and the tariff imposed by the US authorities on Bangladeshi goods”.The US government is charging an average tariff of 15.8 per cent on goods imported from Bangladesh.”At present, the USA is offering preferential tariffs or zero tariffs to many of LDCs. But it been denied the facility to Bangladesh, hindering its shipments growth to the country as well as smooth bilateral trade relations between Dhaka and Washington,” he noted.The EAB leader also said such a trade policy of the US government is also depriving the US consumers from getting cheaper goods from Bangladesh. “Our exports can even grow at a faster pace if the USA takes Bangladesh as a preferential trade partner or grant the duty-free access to local exportable especially the RMG items,” he said. Murshedy said the suspension of Bangladesh’s GSP privileges by the US government is yet to leave any adverse impact on its exports because the facility was eligible for 4,800 local products which had negligible contribution to Bangladesh export basket.In June 2013, the US government announced a temporary suspension of Bangladesh’s GSP privileges questioning labour rights and workers safety in the country. The EAB leader, however, urged the US authorities to restore the GSP facility for Bangladeshi goods as the local entrepreneurs have already improved the workplace safety in line with the suggestions given the US authorities.”The US move to restore GSP facility and duty-free access of local apparels could lead the Dhaka-Washington bilateral relations to a new height,” he observed.
