Bangladesh-Nepal trade talks in Dhaka next month
Tuesday, 29 June 2010
FE Report
The commerce secretaries of Bangladesh and Nepal will hold a two-day meeting in Dhaka, starting from July 14 next, to facilitate trade and connectivity between the two countries, trade officials said.
The meeting was earlier scheduled for March 30 last. But it was deferred following requests from Nepal, they said.
The meeting will focus on enhanced sub-regional integration and mutual recognition of each other's testing and standardisation certificates, sources said.
Officials said a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two countries on mutual recognition of standardisation is likely to be signed at the meeting.
Furthermore, the trade talks will also focus on problems relating to loading and unloading of goods at the zero point of the Bangladesh boarder.
Presently, Nepalese truck cannot enter Bangladesh and they need to make loading/unloading at the zero point of the boarder. Most of the traded goods of Nepal are carried via Banglabandha land port.
However, due to absence of a relevant agreement, Nepalese trucks cannot reach the warehouses of the land port and they need to wait at the no man's land for Bangladeshi trucks for reloading, which increases the cost of doing business.
The volume of bilateral trade between the two countries is very low, less than $60 million a year and is tilted towards Nepal.
Bangladesh exported goods worth $6.70 million to Nepal in 2008-2009, while her imports from Nepal were at $53 million during the same period.
Major exports from Bangladesh to Nepal include pharmaceuticals, woven garments, plastic goods, furnace oil, zipper, duck chest feather, dry cell battery, ceramic tableware, handicrafts etc.
Pulses, lentils, rice, wheat etc. make up Bangladesh's import basket from Nepal.
"Nepal is considered to be a very important trade and sub-regional partner for Bangladesh as the government is seriously considering to give Nepal the access to Mongla and Chittagong ports under a connectivity agreement," a top MoC official told the FE Monday.
"The agreement might be signed soon."
The commerce secretaries of Bangladesh and Nepal will hold a two-day meeting in Dhaka, starting from July 14 next, to facilitate trade and connectivity between the two countries, trade officials said.
The meeting was earlier scheduled for March 30 last. But it was deferred following requests from Nepal, they said.
The meeting will focus on enhanced sub-regional integration and mutual recognition of each other's testing and standardisation certificates, sources said.
Officials said a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two countries on mutual recognition of standardisation is likely to be signed at the meeting.
Furthermore, the trade talks will also focus on problems relating to loading and unloading of goods at the zero point of the Bangladesh boarder.
Presently, Nepalese truck cannot enter Bangladesh and they need to make loading/unloading at the zero point of the boarder. Most of the traded goods of Nepal are carried via Banglabandha land port.
However, due to absence of a relevant agreement, Nepalese trucks cannot reach the warehouses of the land port and they need to wait at the no man's land for Bangladeshi trucks for reloading, which increases the cost of doing business.
The volume of bilateral trade between the two countries is very low, less than $60 million a year and is tilted towards Nepal.
Bangladesh exported goods worth $6.70 million to Nepal in 2008-2009, while her imports from Nepal were at $53 million during the same period.
Major exports from Bangladesh to Nepal include pharmaceuticals, woven garments, plastic goods, furnace oil, zipper, duck chest feather, dry cell battery, ceramic tableware, handicrafts etc.
Pulses, lentils, rice, wheat etc. make up Bangladesh's import basket from Nepal.
"Nepal is considered to be a very important trade and sub-regional partner for Bangladesh as the government is seriously considering to give Nepal the access to Mongla and Chittagong ports under a connectivity agreement," a top MoC official told the FE Monday.
"The agreement might be signed soon."