Bangladesh does not get duty free access of the exports to the United States, Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed said Wednesday.
Refuting US Ambassador Dan W Mozena’s claim of zero tariff facility for Bangladesh in the US, Tofail said this in Dhaka.
Tofail said that the US Ambassador’s claim that Bangladesh pays zero tariff to US market is a totally ‘false statement’. The United States did not provide us duty-free access even after repeated request.Mozena strongly denied the allegations that Bangladesh pays tariff for apparel exports to the US market while addressing a function organised by the Economic Reporters’ Forum in Dhaka on Tuesday.
The minister said, They only provide Bangladesh with US$ 24m GSP facilities, which they have now suspended.
He said Bangladesh paid US$ 3.41bn duty to US in last three years. Tofail also mentioned that America provides zero duty for the products of Sub-Saharan African countries.
The minister said conspiracy is going on against Bangladesh’s RMG sector as it is the second largest exporter in the world.
The US had imposed 16 conditions on us after the Rana Plaza tragedy. We have forwarded report to the USTR after fulfilling those conditions.
But, now again they are saying we have to do more. Actually their conditions would not end. Bangladesh is moving ahead and we will become a middle income country by 2021. The day is not far awaywhen Bangladesh will not want anything from anybody, he added. – Agencies
