Staff Reporter :
The government is preparing to renegotiate the tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump on Bangladeshi exports to the United States, with intensive discussions — initiated in February — expected to reach a critical stage within the next one or two days, Commerce Adviser Sheikh Bashir Uddin said on Saturday.
“To support the negotiations surrounding the newly announced 37 per cent US reciprocal tariff on Bangladeshi goods, effective from 9 April, Bangladesh will increase imports of essential goods from the United States and take steps to reduce its trade surplus with the country,” he told reporters in the evening at the State Guest House Jamuna, following an emergency meeting on the issue chaired by Chief Adviser Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus.
Bangladesh will import more of its necessary goods from the USA and reduce its trade surplus with the country as needed for negotiating the recently announced 37 per cent US reciprocal tariff, to be effective from 9 April, Commerce Adviser Sheikh Bashir Uddin said.
The adviser said that in line with the government’s reform initiatives, import barriers are being lifted as both nations are eager to enhance bilateral trade.
He said, “Since we cannot reduce our exports, Bangladesh is looking to increase imports from the United States as a strategic move to negotiate the high tariffs on its exports to the US market.”
Sheikh Bashir Uddin noted that under the World Trade Organisation (WHO) rules, Bangladesh cannot selectively reduce duties for any specific country. “However,” he said, “The government can make decisions about its own imports, including fuel.”
He emphasized that the private sector cannot be forced to follow government preferences but encouraged Bangladeshi businesses to import essential goods from the US, considering the potential for expanding exports.
Earlier on the day, Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (Bida) Executive Chairman Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun met with business leaders and later participated in a meeting with the Chief Adviser.
At a press briefing, he said, “We have two days available for further discussions on this matter.”
Khalilur Rahman, the Chief Adviser’s High Representative, reassured, “There is no cause for concern. With one or two more days of thorough discussion, we will reach a solution.”
He also highlighted that Bangladesh was among the first to reach out to relevant US authorities, including the USTR, to explore ways to boost bilateral trade.
“When I visited Washington in February, they said, ‘You’re the first to approach us,'” Rahman noted, pointing to the interim government’s proactive steps soon after the Trump administration took office and its initiatives to facilitate trade with the world’s largest economy – also Bangladesh’s top export destination.
Chief Adviser Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus held the emergency meeting with top experts, advisers and officials and giving necessary directives to deal with the US tariff issue on Saturday.
Earlier, Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam expressed the government’s confidence that exports from Bangladesh to the United States and other Western countries will increase.
“The United States is a very good friend of ours. All concerns raised will be addressed in today’s discussions.
You [journalists] can rest assured that Bangladesh’s exports to the US and other Western nations will continue to rise, not fall,” he told reporters in front of the State Guest House Jamuna at 7:30pm, ahead of Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus’s emergency meeting regarding the US tariff issue.
Emphasizing the meeting’s focus, Shafiqul said, “The agenda is to determine our position on the US tariffs. We will discuss the language and content of our message to the US administration.
The outcome is expected to be positive. This is a business-friendly government.”
He noted that the perspectives of the business community are being given high priority.
“It is the businesses that export-not the government. Their proposals are being carefully analyzed, and the measures to be taken will be in their best interest,” he added.
The meeting was attended by senior officials, advisers, and experts, including Finance Adviser Salahuddin Ahmed, Commerce Adviser Sheikh Bashir Uddin, Information Adviser Mahfuj Alam, Foreign Adviser Touhid Hossain, Bangladesh Bank Governor Ahsan H Mansur, National Board of Revenue Chairman Abdur Rahman Khan, Chief Adviser’s Special Envoy Lutfey Siddiqi, Principal Secretary to the Chief Adviser M Siraj Uddin Miah, and High Representative Khalilur Rahman.
According to ministry officials, a follow-up meeting will take place at the Ministry of Commerce at 10am on Sunday, with participation from the Bangladesh Bank, NBR, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, along with economists and business representatives.
Prominent business leaders and trade experts also participated in the meeting. Attendees included Policy Research Institute Chairman Zaidi Sattar, and business leaders Nasim Manzur, Ahsan Khan Chowdhury, and Tapan Chowdhury.
As per the Chief Adviser’s directive, Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) Executive Chairman Ashiq Chowdhury also held a meeting with business leaders earlier in the day.
On Thursday, 3 April, US President Donald Trump declared that his administration would introduce reciprocal tariffs mirroring duties imposed on US goods by other countries, escalating the ongoing trade tensions.
