Opportunity to import cars older than five years

In the draft of the new import policy order (2025–2028), it has been proposed to allow the import of cars older than five years. Under the existing import policy, the import of such vehicles is prohibited.

The draft policy also proposes allowing the import of any approved goods against a sales contract without a letter of credit (LC). Currently, commercial imports without an LC are limited to a maximum of five hundred thousand dollars.

A meeting was held at the Secretariat with Trade Adviser Sheikh Bashiruddin and other stakeholders at the Ministry of Commerce to discuss the draft of the new three-year import policy order on Sunday (January 11). During the meeting, various proposals to modernize the import policy were reviewed.

After the meeting, Trade Adviser Sheikh Bashiruddin told reporters that discussions on bringing changes to the import policy order have been ongoing for a month. He said these initiatives have been taken with the aim of liberalization and simplification. Procedures for import transactions, product quality verification, and other related conditions are being reviewed.

He added that if these proposals are approved in the Advisory Council meeting, detailed information will be announced through a press conference.

Commerce Secretary Mahbubur Rahman said that the new import policy is undergoing changes page by page. He stated that initiatives are being taken to facilitate trade in accordance with international standards under the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Trade Facilitation Agreement.

The draft import policy proposes restrictions on the import of hydraulic horns to control environmental and noise pollution, specifying that the noise level should not exceed 100 decibels. For the first time, it also includes permission to import raw materials for the petrochemical industry, such as ethylene and propylene, subject to approval from the relevant authorities.

Additionally, the draft proposes allowing the import of old batteries provided environmentally friendly battery recycling is ensured, assigning a separate HS code for gas cylinders, and removing the mandatory BSTI certification for palm oil imports.

The draft also states that the import of all types of waste will be prohibited. The list of banned items includes shrimp, live pigs and pork products, poppy seeds, old computers and electronic items, harmful pesticides, polythene bags, and three-wheeler vehicles with two-stroke engines.

Conditional import opportunities have been proposed for cars older than five years, motorcycles older than three years with an engine capacity above 165 cc, fishing nets of specified sizes, and LNG.