BD gets duty-free access to 49 countries, JS told

The products of Bangladesh have allowed duty-free access to 49 countries across the globe.
Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed disclosed this while replying to a written query from Treasury Bench member Begum Pinu Khan in the Jatiya Sangsad Sunday, reports BSS.
The minister said 28 European Union countries, Australia, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland (except arms and military equipment), Japan (except arms, military equipment and some specific goods), Turkey (except arms, military equipment and readymade garments), Canada (except arms and military equipment, poultry and dairy products and egg) and Russia have allowed duty-free access of 71 products and Belarus 71 products under the Generalised System of Preference (GSP).
The commerce minister said South Korea has given duty-free access of 4,820 products under the Preferential Tariff for Least Developed Countries and China to 4,788 products under Duty-Free Treatment Grants.
He said Bangladesh has obtained duty-free access of all products except tobacco and drugs from India under the South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA).
Other South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan and the Maldives have given such facilities under the SAFTA and South Asian Preferential Trade Arrangement (SAPTA).
The minister told the Sangsad that Thailand has allowed duty-free access of 299 products under Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), while Malaysia has allowed 297 products.
He said Bangladesh will get duty-free access of all products from Chile from January 1, 2015.
The commerce minister said discussions are underway to realise duty-free access of Bangladeshi products from different Southeast Asian countries and Latin American nations like Brazil, Mexico and Argentina and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries and South Africa.
"The government's efforts are continuing to get duty-free access of Bangladeshi products from those export-potential countries by signing the Free Trade Agreement (FTA)," he said.
Responding to another question from Awami League lawmaker Morshed Alam, the commerce minister said Bangladesh fetched US$27027.36 million in fiscal year (FY) 2012-13 by exporting 737 products.