Ambassador Ziauddin meets Deputy USTR

UsaNewsOnline.com : Bangladesh Ambassador to USA Mr. Mohammad Ziauddin met Ambassador Robert Hollyman, Deputy United States Trade Representative (DUSTR) in the afternoon of 29 April. The meeting was to voice Bangladesh’s concern about the stiff competition Bangladeshi apparels might face from the Vietnamese ones  once the proposed TPP (Trans-Pacific Partnership) is in place, and to seek suggestions how Bangladesh can prepare itself if it wants to join the TPP. Mr. Ziauddin  also  broached the issue of DFQF for the LDCs, including Bangladesh mentioning the discrimination now being meted out to the Asian LDCs because of AGOA (Advanced Growth Opportunity ACT), a trade arrangement under which the African LDCs enjoy DFQF access to US Market. AGOA has recently been renewed for another ten years up to 2025.

In response, Mr. Holleyman mentioned that improvement in the labour sector is the threshold for Bangladesh to qualify for any trade benefit from USA whether it is under GSP or DFQF or TPP. He appreciated the progress so far made by Bangladesh regarding labour safety and other related issues, but underscored the urgent need to achieve other goals under Sustainability Compact, such as registration of trade unions, especially in the EPZs, implementation of Rules for the amended Labour Act, etc. He also commented that restoration of GSP for Bangladesh is the first step for seeking any other trade benefit from the USA. This again underpins the fact that we should achieve the goals set under Sustainability Compact within the shortest possible time.

The Bangladesh Ambassador was accompanied by Mr. Md Shahabuddin Patwary, Minister (Economic) and Sk. Aktar Hossain, Commercial Counselor of the Embassy.