Dhaka gets positive signal from US stakeholders

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Nazmul Ahsan
Dhaka has got positive signal from the US Congressmen and textile lobbies in its bid to become a potential beneficiary of the proposed New Partnership for Trade Development Act (NPTDA), which is to be placed in the US Congress in August next, official sources said.
The policy makers, regulators and textile association leaders of the US have shown their keen interest to provide Bangladesh with greater duty-free market access, a member of the government delegation that visited the US from April 18 to April 24 to drum up support for the Bangladesh cause, said.
The stakeholders in the US are now firmly believe that Bangladesh is one of the countries that deserve the duty-free facility considering its socio-economic conditions and image as a moderate Muslim country, he added.
'The NPTD Bill got momentum following our series of meetings with different stakeholders in the US,' another delegation member told the FE.
"The propaganda by countries, mostly from Africa region, opposing Bangladesh's inclusion on the list of NPTDA beneficiaries, has lost steam", he said.
The delegation to the US was lead by Acting Commerce Secretary, Golam Hossain. The representatives from Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority, Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, Bangladesh Textile Mills Association and Centre for Policy Dialogue and Director General, World Trade Organisation, Ministry of Commerce, were included in the delegation.
The delegation members had meetings with Congressmen Jim Mcdermott and John S Tanner. Both the Congressmen assured the delegation of extending their support towards the cause of Bangladesh, an official said.
Besides, the delegation members had discussions with Deputy USTR Ambassador Demetrios Marantis, Deputy Under Secretary of the Department of Commerce Michelle O' Neil, Associate Deputy Under Secretary Carol Pier of the Department of Labour and Assistant Under Secretary Ambassador Blake of the US Department of State, a trade official said.
"They all have expressed their support to Bangladesh as a prospective beneficiary of the Bill,' another delegation member said.
Furthermore, the delegation member had also extensive meetings with President of the American Apparel and Footwear Association, Acting President of the Cotton Council International, President, Trade, Aid and Security Coalition Claude Fontheim and senior officials of Senate Committee on Finance.
Recently, about a dozen US textile organisations and another 45 trade associations of South and North American, African and Middle Eastern countries have opposed the move to provide the duty-free access to Bangladesh apparel products to the US market under the proposed NPTDA.
Senator McDermott introduced the bill in the US House of Representatives in November last year to offer greater duty-free facilities to 15 least developed countries (LDCs), including Bangladesh.
The bill proposes for duty-free and quota-free market access for non-AGOA (African Growth and Opportunity Act) LDCs including Bangladesh and outlines simplification of existing US-GSP rules of origin.