Dhaka to raise preferential US market access issue
https://www.newagebd.net/article/100876/dhaka-to-raise-preferential-us-market-access-issue
Issues related to a review of bilateral trade and preferential market access would be high on the agenda from the Bangladesh side in the 5th meeting of Bangladesh-United States Trade and Investment Cooperation Forum Agreement to be held on March 5 in Dhaka, according to senior government officials.
In the meeting, Bangladesh would also raise the issues of responsible business conduct and ethical buying practices and non-tariff barriers Bangladeshi pharmaceuticals products are facing in the US market, commerce ministry officials said.
A US trade delegation led by Christopher Wilson, assistant US Trade Representative for South and Central Asia, will take part in the meeting.
The delegation also includes US Trade Representative for South and Central Asia deputy assistant Zeba Reyaazuddin, USTR director for labour affairs Michale O’Donovan, US labour department international relations officer Emma Laury, US commerce department senior counsel Megan McMillan, international trade specialist Jonathan Goldberg and US state department Bangladesh desk officer Sean Moffatt.
In the meeting, Bangladesh would urge the US to implement Trade Facilitation Agreement and sought support for graduation.
From the US side, Bangladesh’s labour rights issues, rice export subsidy and ease of fumigation requirement of cotton issues would get priority, sources said.
The US delegation would also discuss the issues including policy about cap on foreign direct investment in insurance sector, intellectual property right, export of pharmaceuticals, investment climate and fisheries subsidy.
Labour ministry officials said that the labour rights issues would be an important agenda for the TICFA meeting and the delegation would hold a separate meeting on the issue with labour ministry on March 4, day before the 5th round of TICFA.
The US delegation is interested to know about workers’ rights, workplace safety and legislation reforms, labour ministry officials said.
They said that the ministry would present the progresses Bangladesh made in workers’ rights and workplace safety in recent years before the delegation.
The labour ministry would also inform the US about the time-bound action plan Bangladesh has adopted for legislation reforms as per the requirement of International Labour Organisation, the sources said.
The US and Bangladesh signed the TICFA on November 25, 2013 to establish an annual forum for increasing bilateral trade and investment.
The 4th round of TICFA was held in September, 2018 in Washington DC.
Source: https://www.newagebd.net
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