BGMEA President Mahmud Hasan Khan met with a high-level Japanese government team headed by YODA Gaku, Deputy Director General for Trade, Economic Cooperation, and Export of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishery Products at Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry.
The proposed Japan-Bangladesh Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), which aims to improve bilateral trade and economic cooperation between the two countries, was the main topic of debate.
Mahmud Hasan Khan emphasised Japan’s longstanding assistance as a crucial development partner during the conference. After Bangladesh leaves the Least Developed Country (LDC) category, he asked the Japanese delegation to think about granting it duty-free market access for a five-year transition period. To increase Bangladesh’s export competitiveness, he also asked for more latitude in the rules of origin.
During the deliberations, other board members as well as BGMEA Vice President Mijanur Rahman were present.
