Bangladesh’s Commerce Secretary has expressed optimism about the likelihood of a duty reduction by the United States following the first day of the third and final round of tariff negotiations with the Trump administration.
Speaking from Washington DC, Mahbubur Rahman stated, “We sat with officials of the USTR and completed the first day of the third round of negotiations,” though he did not specify the potential tariff rates under discussion. The talks are scheduled to continue for two more days, with the final US tariff rate for Bangladesh expected to be announced at the conclusion of the three-day negotiations.
The discussions primarily focused on tariff and non-tariff barriers, as both nations explore avenues for reducing duties. The negotiations are particularly significant as President Trump’s reciprocal tariff measures are set to take effect from August 1 for the countries involved.
Bangladesh’s private sector representatives are also set to join the discussions on the third day, although they will not participate directly in the negotiations, which are currently being conducted between the two Governments. The Bangladesh delegation was led by Commerce Adviser Sk Bashir Uddin, with other officials including National Security Adviser Khalilur Rahman, Commerce Secretary Mahbubur Rahman, and Additional Commerce Secretary Nazneen Kawsar Chowdhury.
On the US side, Assistant Trade Representative Brendan Lynch heads the delegation, supported by officials responsible for trade and tariff matters.
In recent efforts to strengthen bilateral trade, Bangladesh has already offered duty-free import facilities for several American products. Additionally, the country has committed to purchasing 25 Boeing aircraft and importing 3.5 million tonnes of wheat from the United States over the next five years.
