US trade envoy arrives today on a 3-day visit
A delegation from the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), led by Assistant US Trade Representative for South and Central Asia Brendan Lynch, arrives in Dhaka today on a three-day visit aimed at deepening bilateral trade and investment cooperation between the countries.
The delegation visits Bangladesh from May 5 to May 7 to discuss ways to further strengthen trade and investment ties between the two countries.
According to a press release issued on Monday attributed to US Mission Spokesperson Poornima Rai, the visit will focus on advancing cooperation under the proposed US-Bangladesh Agreement on Reciprocal Trade.
The United States said it is looking forward to working with Bangladesh on implementing the agreement, which aims to enhance economic growth in both countries by improving market access, removing barriers to investment and expanding commercial opportunities, reads the release.
The visit would provide an opportunity for both sides to advance discussions on trade facilitation, investment cooperation and broader economic partnership as Dhaka and Washington seek to further expand their commercial engagement.
The visiting delegation is scheduled to hold a series of meetings with senior government officials, trade policymakers and business stakeholders during the three-day tour.
Meanwhile, The Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART) between Bangladesh and the United States was signed on 9 February, just three days before the national parliamentary election. The agreement has drawn all sorts of criticism within the country.
The agreement has not yet come into force, but Bangladesh has already begun signing deals to import various goods from the United States under its provisions, which has also raised questions.
Critics argue that the deal imposes extensive and binding commitments on Bangladesh, while placing comparatively minimal obligations on the United States.
In legal terms, the word “shall” denotes mandatory requirements, whereas “will” generally indicates intent. In this 32-page agreement, “shall” appears 179 times, while “will” appears only three times. Of these, “Bangladesh shall” is used 131 times, compared to just six instances of “US shall”.
