Bangladesh has sent the progress report to the United States Trade Representative (USTR) complying with the conditions required to regain GSP status.
Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed told reporters that the ministry sent the report to USTR on Tuesday.
“We are satisfied with the progress report,” said the minister.
He said allowing trade union in the export processing zones (EPZs) and appointing factory inspectors under National Building Code are continuous process.
We have addressed all the conditions except one or two, the minister said adding “The report also mentioned the cause for the unfulfilled conditions.”
A total of 97% of Bangladeshi goods enter the US market without any duty, but the garments, the country's main export items, have been left out.
Bangladesh has been demanding a duty-free access for garment products to the US market for a long time, as the country pays more than 15% tariff to get in.
US President Barack Obama, on June 27, 2013, issued a proclamation suspending Bangladesh's GSP trade benefits based on the Bangladesh government's failure to meet the GSP statutory eligibility criterion of "taking steps to afford internationally-recognized worker rights to workers in the country."