Bangladesh and the United States discussed issues of mutual interest with particular focus on trade, commerce, and the ongoing tariff negotiations, specifically the steep rise in rates announced by President Donald Trump, during Thursday's much-anticipated meeting between the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) and a delegation from Dhaka led by Commerce Adviser Sk.Bashir Uddin.
Despite platitudes on offer from the CA's Press Wing, the most important takeaway following Thursday's meeting is that there was no breakthrough in negotiations over the 35% tariff on Bangladeshi goods announced by Trump, that will be effective from Aug. 1. Nor is there any indication of a breakthrough being imminent.
In the event, the two sides were left to reiterate a 'commitment to work together for shared benefits', as the Chief Adviser’s Deputy Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad put it early Friday, noting that the Commerce Adviser met with USTR Ambassador Jamieson Greer at the latter's office on Thursday at 11am local time (9pm Bangladesh).
The second day of three-day tariff talks between Bangladesh and the United States ended Thursday in Washington, DC.
Azad said the talks were "comprehensive, touching upon almost all the key aspects of the trade relationships between the two nations."
The Commerce Adviser is leading the Bangladeshi delegation in Washington.
National Security Adviser Dr Khalilur Rahman, and the Chief Adviser's Special Assistant on Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb, joined the talks virtually from Dhaka.
Senior Commerce Ministry officials also attended the meeting in the US capital.
Senior US officials from USTR, agriculture, labour affairs, environment and natural resources, Treasury, innovation & intellectual property and investment agencies, joined the meeting.
The last round of talks (for now) will be held on Friday. At this stage though, chances of securing any reduction to the rate Trump announced in his letter to Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus earlier in the week, appear next to nil.
