Bangladesh to set next course of action on US tariffs

The Ministry of Commerce is set to hold a meeting today at 11am to determine the next steps regarding tariff issues involving the United States.

The commerce minister, state minister, secretary, other senior government officials, and representatives of the business community are expected to attend the meeting.

The meeting is likely to be the first in a series of stakeholder consultations with economists, trade analysts, business leaders and senior officials, as Dhaka prepares to re-engage with the United States.

On 20 February, US President Donald Trump announced a 10% across-the-board tariff for at least 150 days following a US Supreme Court ruling that struck down sweeping tariffs imposed under his administration.
Earlier, Bangladesh signed the Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART) on 9 February, securing a reduction in reciprocal tariffs to 19% from 20%.

Commerce Secretary Mahbubur Rahman said the authority under which Donald Trump had entered into a retaliatory tariff arrangement with Bangladesh had been nullified by the US court.

“Later, they mentioned imposing tariffs in two phases, although the matter is still not clear.  As a result, we are unable to make any final decisions at this point. We are waiting. However, based on the issues that have come before us so far, we have called a meeting on Wednesday to assess the situation and determine the next steps,” he added.

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The secretary further said that the United States will now examine what tariffs it can impose under Sections 122 and 301 of its domestic law. In the meantime, substantial tariffs have already been collected, and it remains important to know what decision will be made regarding those.

“However, we are continuing regular communication with the US authorities on these matters,” he added.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump said on 21 February that he would raise a temporary tariff from 10% to 15% on US imports from all countries -- the maximum level allowed under the law -- following the US Supreme Court’s decision.

The move came less than 24 hours after he announced a 10% across-the-board tariff on 20 February.

The new levies are grounded in a separate but untested law, known as Section 122, which allows tariffs of up to 15% but requires congressional approval to extend them beyond 150 days. No president has previously invoked Section 122, and its use could lead to further legal challenges.