Bangladesh Urges US to Delay Tariffs, Promises Trade Reforms
Bangladesh’s interim government on Monday called on the United States to postpone its planned tariff measures on Bangladeshi exports, requesting a three-month delay to allow time for comprehensive trade reforms aimed at boosting US exports to the South Asian nation.
Chief Adviser of the interim government, Nobel laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus, formally appealed to US President Donald Trump in a letter, expressing deep concern over the steep 37 per cent tariff set to take effect from Tuesday. The tariff, announced by the Trump administration on April 2, has sparked alarm in Dhaka, where officials fear the move could severely impact the country’s vital garment and textile industries, which are heavily reliant on US markets.
In the letter, Professor Yunus emphasized Bangladesh’s readiness to implement a series of trade reforms in exchange for the delay. Central to these reforms is a pledge to significantly expand imports of American agricultural products such as cotton, wheat, corn, and soybeans.
“To increase speed to market for US cotton, we are finalising a dedicated bonded warehousing facility in Bangladesh where the item will have duty-free access,” Yunus wrote.
The chief adviser also reaffirmed Bangladesh’s commitment to President Trump’s broader trade agenda, citing recent collaborations including a multi-year agreement to import liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the United States following the lifting of US export restrictions.
In a show of proactive diplomacy, Yunus highlighted that Bangladesh was the first country to dispatch a high-level envoy to Washington after Trump’s inauguration, signaling its willingness to strengthen bilateral trade ties early on.The same day, the Ministry of Commerce sent a letter to the United States Trade Representative (USTR), stating that it was exploring zero-duty access for 100 US products and actively working to eliminate non-tariff barriers, including redundant testing and complex certification procedures.
Commerce Adviser Sk Bashiruddin told reporters that Bangladesh is committed to narrowing the trade imbalance, which currently favors Dhaka. “We want to ensure mutually beneficial trade for both countries,” he said following discussions with US embassy officials.
According to ministry data, Bangladesh already provides duty-free access to 190 products and imposes an average tariff of 6.1 per cent on US goods—significantly lower than the 15 per cent US tariff on Bangladeshi exports. Raw cotton and steel scrap from the US face minimal or zero tariffs.
Yunus’s letter also touched on growing technological cooperation between the two nations, including efforts to enable the launch of Starlink, SpaceX’s satellite internet service, in Bangladesh. He described the initiative as “a new era for US businesses in Bangladesh,” with potential expansion into aviation and defense sectors.
The plea comes amid global concern over the Trump administration’s new tariff regime, which has affected multiple trading partners including China, India, the EU, Cambodia, and Laos.
An International Monetary Fund (IMF) team also met with Bangladesh’s Commerce Secretary Mahbubur Rahman on Monday to assess the potential economic fallout of the US tariffs.
Concluding his letter, Yunus urged President Trump to grant a three-month postponement, assuring him that all planned reforms would be completed within that timeframe.
“I most sincerely hope that you will grant this request,” he wrote.
