Core group to prepare strategy paper for 7th WTO meeting

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FE Report
The commerce ministry has formed a core group to prepare Bangladesh 'position' or strategy paper for the 7th WTO ministerial meeting to be held from November 30 to December 2 in Geneva, said director general (DG) of WTO cell Amitabh Chakrabarty Tuesday.
The eight-member core group will submit its final report by September 25 after taking into consideration the interest of all stakeholders, he said after a high-powered committee had a meeting to discuss the trade and negotiation issues in the ministry.
In the Hong Kong ministerial declaration, it is mentioned that developed countries would give duty-free access to 97 per cent of total products of least developed countries (LDC), the DG said.
"Bangladesh is negotiating with the rich countries especially the US to put all its exportable products into the 97 per cent group," he said.
If the US put textile and readymade garment products into the list of 3.0 per cent dutiable products, Bangladesh will not get any preferential benefits, he explained.
The ministry will also prepare its position paper for the LDC ministers' meeting to be held in Tanzania in October, Mr Amitabh said.
"This meeting is also important for Bangladesh as we need to raise our demand from a common platform," he said.
In the WTO ministerial meeting, Dhaka will seek duty-free access and simplification of rules of origin procedures, he added.