The United States has imposed no special conditions on Dhaka in the newly finalised tariff deal, confirmed Shafiqul Alam, press secretary to the chief adviser.
He confirmed in an interview with a private television channel on Friday afternoon. Earlier in the day, he also commented on the tariff issue from his residence on Bailey Road, describing the development as a success.
According to Shafiqul Alam, the tariff agreement with the United States has been successful. He stated that Bangladesh has experienced good growth in the US market and that the United States has not imposed any special conditions on Bangladesh. Instead, the same terms have been applied as for other countries.
He mentioned that the United States was aiming to reduce its trade deficit.
He also said that Bangladesh is interested in importing agricultural products, cotton, and various other items from the United States. He expressed hope that this would help increase Bangladesh’s exports.
Shafiqul Alam further added that the United States is Bangladesh’s largest export market. He emphasised that no military agreement was made with the US to secure a tariff reduction, saying: “You can be assured of that.”
The United States has reduced the reciprocal tariff on Bangladeshi products from 35% to 20%. On July 8, US President Donald Trump sent a letter to Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus.
At that time, Trump had announced that an additional 35% tariff would be imposed on Bangladeshi goods starting from August 1. However, following discussions, he agreed to lower the tariff to 20%.