DCCI, TFO Canada launch project to boost SME exports

The Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) and the Trade Facilitation Office (TFO) Canada have launched a project to expand the export capacity of SME entrepreneurs, particularly jute goods in the Canadian market.

The project titled “Trade for Resilient, Inclusive and Sustainable Economic Growth (TRISEG)” was inaugurated on Thursday at the DCCI Auditorium.

Mohammad Hasan Arif, Vice Chairman and Chief Executive, Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) attended the event as the Chief Guest while Khondaker Md. Nazmul Huda Shamim, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Textiles and Jute was present as the Special Guest.

EPB boss said positive performance of Bangladesh’s jute and jute goods sector, which maintained an upward trend, recording 25 per cent export growth during the first quarter of the current fiscal year.

He mentioned that Canada is among the top ten export destinations for Bangladesh, with the country’s total exports to Canada reaching USD 1.5 billion.

Bangladesh’s export earnings reached USD 48 billion in 2025 and during the first quarter of FY 2026-27, the country’s export growth stood at 6.0 per cent.

Bangladesh’s export sector would face significant challenges following the LDC graduation in 2029, he warned, emphasizing that product diversification would be essential to overcoming these challenges and ensuring the sustained growth and competitiveness of Bangladesh’s export sector. Md. Nazmul Huda Shamim said that although Bangladesh’s jute and jute goods sector is performing reasonably well, the sector still faces challenges due to a lack of product diversification.