BD to push again for DF-QF access of 55 items to KSA

Bangladesh will push again for duty free-quota free (DF-QF) entry of its 55 items into Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) as the Joint Economic Commission (JEC) meets in November next, officials said.
"We sent a list of 55 products, seeking DF-QF access to KSA. But we are yet to get any response from there. In the next JEC meet, we will raise the issue again to get the preference," additional secretary of Economic Relations Division (ERD) Salim Reza told the FE Thursday.
He said: "We have kept the issue on top of the agenda in next JEC meet alongside some other important issues."
Sources said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) and Bangladesh embassy in Riyadh have been asked to continue pursuing the authority concerned to obtain the facility for 55 exportable items.     
A senior commerce ministry official said the issue of removal of non-tariff barriers like certification, labelling, reduction of tariff on certain products such as ready-made garments, textiles, leather and leather goods, jute and jute goods, and pharmaceuticals will also come up in the meeting for discussion.
He said in the 10th JEC meeting, held in February 2013 in Riyadh, the Saudi side took note of these obstacles which are hindering Bangladesh's exports to KSA. However, those barriers are yet to be removed or reduced.
Apart from these issues like trade and commerce, manpower export to Saudi Arabia, cooperation in the areas of health, education, agriculture, culture and religious affairs will be discussed in the meeting.
Officials said the government sought the DFQF facility for 55 items in line with suggestions made by the Bangladesh Tariff Commission (BTC) aiming to boost export and reduce bilateral trade gap.
 The BTC initially identified some 150 products which have great export potential to KSA. Later, the number of items was reduced to 55.
These items include apparel products, frozen shrimps and fishes, vegetables, bakery items, footwear and leather goods, home textiles, jute goods, betel-nut, mineral water, alcohol-free drink, edible oil and sugar.  
Another trade official said the DF-QF facility, if granted, will help reduce the trade imbalance with KSA significantly. "So, we are attaching highest priority on the issue."
  Statistics show that Bangladesh's exports to KSA are still very insufficient. In the fiscal year (FY) 2010-11, Bangladesh exported goods worth US$ 116.18 million to KSA and imported goods worth $ 691.40 million from the country.
Bangladesh's major exports to KSA include frozen food, knitwear, woven garments, agricultural products, jute and jute goods, and chemical and allied products. And its imports from KSA include mineral fuels, mineral oils and products for their distillation, plastic products, chemical products, vegetable fat, base metal, prepared food stuff, cement, dates and glassware.
A large number of Bangladeshis work in KSA since the Middle Eastern nation opened its job market for Dhaka in 1976.
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