Bangladesh is hopeful of securing a more favorable tariff arrangement with the United States as one-to-one negotiations with the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) proceed this week, following Washington’s announcement of new tariff rates on imports from 14 countries.
Finance Adviser Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed on Tuesday expressed confidence that Bangladesh can achieve a better outcome through direct talks, despite an initial 35% tariff declared by U.S. President Donald Trump on Bangladeshi goods. The rate is still under negotiation and is not yet final, the adviser clarified after attending the Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase (CCGP) meeting at the Bangladesh Secretariat.
“The final tariff will be fixed in one-to-one negotiation with the USTR. That’s why we will have our meeting with them. The rate is not final yet,” Dr. Salehuddin told reporters. The high-level meeting with the USTR is scheduled for July 9 (U.S. time), which will take place early Wednesday morning in Bangladesh.
He assured that Bangladesh is not lagging behind in its diplomatic efforts. “Vietnam received greater tariff relief because their trade deficit with the U.S. is $125 billion, while ours is only $5 billion. That economic factor played a key role in shaping tariff differences,” he noted.
The Finance Adviser said Bangladesh’s Commerce Adviser has already been in Washington for several days and is actively engaging with U.S. officials to advocate for the country’s trade interests.
“We will understand the matter better after the meeting concludes,” he said. “Whatever the result, the government is ready to take further measures based on the final outcome.”
Dr. Salehuddin stressed that the dialogue process has been constructive so far: “All the meetings we have had so far are positive.”
Tariff Landscape and Strategic Outlook
On Monday, President Trump announced a sweeping revision of tariff rates on imports from 14 countries via his Truth Social account, including Bangladesh, Myanmar, Vietnam, and Japan. While Bangladesh was assigned a 35% tariff — down slightly from the initially proposed 37% — Vietnam, a direct competitor in the ready-made garment (RMG) sector, was granted a more favorable 20% tariff rate following a recent bilateral trade deal.
Other nations faced even steeper penalties: Myanmar and Laos were slapped with a 40% tariff, Cambodia and Thailand at 36%, Serbia at 35%, Indonesia at 32%, and several others at 25-30%.
Despite the challenges, the government sees the negotiation window as an opportunity to push for improved market access and demonstrate Bangladesh’s strong commitment to fair and responsible trade practices.
Trade experts believe Bangladesh still has room to negotiate, given its relatively small trade deficit with the U.S. and its strategic importance in South Asia’s manufacturing and supply chain network.
"Bangladesh has consistently shown resilience in managing external trade shocks. With skilled diplomacy and data-backed negotiation, there’s a pathway to mitigate the impact," said a senior official at the Ministry of Commerce.
The government has also indicated that it will strengthen its efforts to diversify export markets and enhance competitiveness in light of shifting global trade dynamics.
As the crucial meeting unfolds, the outcome will be watched closely by the RMG sector — Bangladesh’s largest export industry — as well as by policymakers and global trade analysts.
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