Third round of talks on US tariffs next week: Commerce Adviser

Commerce Adviser Sheikh Bashir Uddin has said that discussions on the issue of US retaliatory tariffs will resume next week. He mentioned that Bangladesh has requested time from the US for these talks and preparations are underway.

Speaking at a press conference at the Ministry of Commerce on Monday (July 14), he said, "We hope the US will set reasonable tariff rates. With its capabilities, Bangladesh will be able to maintain its business in the US market."

The second round of tariff talks between the two countries concluded on July 11 in Washington DC. However, due to a non-disclosure agreement between the two countries, the details of the discussions were not made public.

Commerce Secretary Mahbubur Rahman said, "Tariffs are a major blow for Bangladesh. The government is giving the highest priority to this issue, and preparations are being made with the input of business organizations."

From the business community, BKMEA President Mohammad Hatem said, "The government is giving great importance to the tariff discussions. We are satisfied with the progress made so far."
It is worth noting that on April 2, the US imposed retaliatory tariffs on several countries. However, due to the negative impact on global trade, these tariffs were suspended until July 9. During this period, various countries negotiated bilateral agreements with the US.

On July 8, in a letter sent to Bangladesh's Chief Adviser Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus, US President Donald Trump announced a decision to impose a 35% tariff on Bangladeshi products, which led to renewed talks.

Since then, Bangladesh’s delegation, led by the Commerce Adviser, has held several rounds of meetings with the US Trade Representative (USTR). However, agreement has not yet been reached on all issues.