Bangladesh has not yet received a specific date for the US Trade Representative (USTR) hearing, though the commerce ministry earlier predicted it would take place on April 28 (today), say sources.
The US has launched two separate investigations against Bangladesh and some other countries over "overproduction" and "forced labour".
Officials say Bangladesh is preparing for the hearing, which will be held online with the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR).
A total of 16 countries are included in the investigations.
A commerce ministry official says they are waiting for the final date, which will probably be in May, but are also making preparations.
The ministry has already held several meetings.
"Bangladesh does not have overproduction problems, and no forced or child labour exists in the sectors being reviewed. A formal position paper is being prepared for the hearing," he says.
The US started the investigations under its trade law (Section 301).
The goal is to check whether these countries' production and trade policies are harming the US industries.
For Bangladesh, the focus will mainly be on the garment and cement sectors.
The US, the largest export market for Bangladesh, is also trying to bring supply chains back to its own country and create more jobs for Americans.
In the 2024-25 fiscal year, Bangladesh exported about $8.69 billion worth of goods to the US, which was around 18 per cent of its total shipment.
Earlier, US President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on Bangladeshi products.
The tariffs were revised several times, now standing at around 15 per cent.
In addition to Bangladesh, some of the other countries under investigation include China, Japan, India, and Vietnam.
Meanwhile, Brendan Lynch, assistant US trade representative for South and Central Asia, will visit Bangladesh soon.
US Ambassador to Bangladesh Brent T Christensen disclosed the information during a meeting with Commerce Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir at the Bangladesh Secretariat in the capital on April 21.
Experts believe the USTR may discuss various trade-related issues during the visit as Bangladesh and the US signed the Agreement on Reciprocal Trade on February 9 this year.
The US ambassador noted that expanding bilateral trade would be beneficial to both countries.
The commerce minister said his ministry, along with the other relevant ones, was working on formulating the new Import Policy Order.
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