WTO will continue providing technical support to Bangladesh after LDC graduation

The World Trade Organization (WTO) has confirmed that Bangladesh will continue to receive strong support and technical assistance as it prepares for graduation from the Least Developed Country (LDC) category in 2026.

In an online interview, WTO Deputy Director-General Xiangchen Zhang said Bangladesh will still receive the organisation’s technical assistance even after its LDC graduation.

He said Bangladesh is currently benefiting from a wide range of activities under the WTO’s technical assistance and training programme.

According to him, the WTO strengthens trade capacity in developing economies through partnerships with other international organisations.

Regarding the Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF), the Deputy Director-General said Bangladesh is one of its main beneficiaries. The EIF is designed to help LDCs participate more actively in global trade.

He added that the EIF is now transitioning into its third phase, and importantly, Bangladesh will continue to receive EIF benefits for five years after LDC graduation.

Zhang said EIF support has helped Bangladesh expand its food-processing capacity and develop diversification strategies to move the ready-made garment sector further up the value chain.

On financial support, he said Bangladesh is a major beneficiary of the WTO’s Aid for Trade initiative, which assists developing economies in strengthening trade capacity.

From 2006 to 2023, Bangladesh was among the top ten recipients of Aid for Trade and received USD 23 billion during this period.

He noted that Bangladesh maintains strong institutional infrastructure related to the WTO, particularly through the WTO Reference Centre at the Bangladesh Foreign Trade Institute (BFTI), which provides access to documents and trade-related information.

However, Zhang said a key consideration for Bangladesh after graduation will be its strategic approach to engaging with the WTO.

He said Bangladesh has so far mostly participated as part of the LDC group. After graduation, it will need to adapt its approach and focus on building strategic alliances with developing WTO members across different tiers.

Bangladesh has been a member of the World Trade Organization since 1995. Its upcoming LDC graduation in 2026 will bring new challenges and opportunities for the country’s trade policy.