BD-US trade deal now on Feb 08

Bangladesh and the United States are poised to open a new chapter in bilateral trade relations as they are set to sign an agreement to this effect on February 08, officials said.
The signing ceremony was scheduled for February 09. When the deal is penned, it will mark the culmination of months of negotiations aimed at easing Washington's reciprocal tariffs and expanding mutual market access.
While the agreement has generated expectations of a tariff reset, the final rate is yet to be confirmed and will depend on approvals due by the signing date, according to commerce ministry officials familiar with the development.
The process has also seen adjustments in representation, with senior Bangladeshi officials opting to participate virtually.
The anticipated high-level presence of Commerce Adviser Sk Bashir Uddin and Commerce Secretary Mahbubur Rahman for the tariff negotiations has been scaled back.
They were earlier scheduled to be physically present at the signing ceremony of the agreement.
The Bangladeshi side will now be represented in person by a senior-ranking additional secretary, while the adviser and the secretary will participate and execute the signing virtually, said the officials.
A five-member team is expected to leave Dhaka for the United States, headed by Commerce Ministry Additional Secretary Khadiza Nazneen, to sign the agreement on Friday, according to a circular issued by the ministry.
On behalf of the US, the agreement will be signed by United States Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer. The much-anticipated initiative is aimed at easing Washington's "reciprocal tariff" and expanding mutual market access between the two countries.
A source said the adviser has already signed the agreement in Dhaka, and the high-level delegation will carry the signed instrument to Washington for final execution.
The commerce secretary told reporters at the Secretariat on February 1, 2026 that the ministry had already sent a summary seeking approval of the draft agreement and authorisation for signing it on the scheduled date.
"Once the approval comes, we will be able to take the final course of action," he said.
The commerce secretary also said Bangladesh currently maintains a reciprocal tariff of 20 per cent, similar to many other countries.
"There is an indication that it may come down somewhat, but nothing has been finalised yet. The exact rate will be decided by February 9," he added.
Meanwhile, the commerce adviser and the commerce secretary left Dhaka for Japan at around 1:45 pm on Thursday. The Bangladesh-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (BJEPA) is scheduled to be signed today (Friday) in Tokyo, Japan.
Four other commerce ministry officials are already in Tokyo for the signing ceremony and are expected to return to Dhaka on February 7 or around that time.

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