Bangladesh to sign tariff agreement with US 3 days before election

The interim government is set to sign a tariff agreement with the United States just three days before the 13th parliamentary election.

The national election and the referendum on the July National Charter will be held simultaneously on 12 February.

Commerce Adviser Sk Bashir Uddin will lead the Bangladeshi delegation in Washington, DC, where the agreement will be signed on 9 February.

In August last year, both countries reached a mutual understanding regarding the 20% reciprocal tariff imposed on Bangladesh, but no formal agreement was signed at that time.

Speaking to journalists at the secretariat on Sunday, Commerce Secretary Mahbubur Rahman said, “We have received the schedule – 9 February – from the US. We have sent a summary seeking the draft agreement and approval to sign it on that date.”

When asked about the possible rate of the retaliatory tariff, he said, “Currently, it is 20%...We hope the tariff will decrease somewhat, but we cannot confirm it before 9 February.”