Bangladesh Seeks US Tariff Reduction as USTR Signals Positive Consideration

Bangladesh has taken a significant step toward easing trade barriers with the United States, as National Security Adviser Dr Khalilur Rahman proposed a reduction of the US reciprocal tariff from the current 20 percent during high-level talks in Washington, DC.

The proposal was discussed during a meeting on Thursday afternoon with US Trade Representative (USTR) Ambassador Jamieson Greer, who agreed to positively consider the request. Ambassador Greer also assured serious consideration of Bangladesh’s proposal to lower or eliminate tariffs on apparel products that use US-origin content, a move that could provide a boost to Bangladesh’s key export sector.

Dr Khalilur Rahman also held a separate meeting with Assistant USTR Brendan Lynch, focusing on narrowing the trade gap and accelerating the implementation of the reciprocal tariff agreement.

During discussions, the national security adviser highlighted that Bangladesh has already made substantial progress in reducing the trade imbalance, even before the formal execution of the agreement. He noted that Bangladesh has significantly increased imports from the United States and has implemented several core elements of the proposed deal.

“Bangladesh has taken concrete steps to reduce the trade gap and has shown strong commitment to strengthening bilateral trade relations,” Dr Rahman said.

Both sides agreed to quickly resolve a small number of outstanding issues so that the reciprocal tariff agreement can be finalized and executed without delay.

Dr Rahman further observed that business engagement between Bangladesh and the United States is expected to grow sharply in the coming days as trade volumes increase. He urged Ambassador Greer to use his good offices to ease business travel restrictions for Bangladeshi nationals, particularly in light of Bangladesh’s recent inclusion in the US visa bond requirement list.

In addition, the national security adviser requested access to funding from the US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) to support Bangladesh’s private sector. Ambassador Greer assured him that he would make efforts to address the matter.

Bangladesh Ambassador to the United States Tareq Md Ariful Islam accompanied Dr Khalilur Rahman during the meetings. Senior USTR officials, including Brendan Lynch, were also present.

Dr Khalilur Rahman is scheduled to hold further meetings with senior officials of the US State Department in the coming days, signaling continued momentum in Bangladesh–US economic and strategic engagement.