Chile may allow duty free access of BD RMG items from next yr

Country's export of ready-made garment (RMG) items to Chile will increase as the latter is considering duty free market access from next year, industry insiders said.
Earlier, Ambassador of Chile in Bangladesh resident in New Delhi Cristian Barros during his meeting with the country's businessmen and government high ups last month in the capital assured that his country is actively considering  providing duty free market access of Bangladeshi RMG items to his country from next year.  
The RMG exporters said that if the country gets duty free market access then the volume of export will rise significantly.     
At present the Chilean businessmen have to pay 6 per cent duty on import of RMG items from Bangladesh.   
"Our RMG export to Chile will definitely be increased once the country allows duty free market access from next year," President of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) Md. Atiqul Islam told the FE.
To explore the Latin American market, a team of BGMEA visited Brazil, Argentina and Mexico in 2011 and found good opportunity for exporting Bangladeshi goods especially RMG items.
Bangladeshi businessmen have to collect Chilean Visa from New Delhi. They suggested regular visit of both countries' businessmen, opening of consulate office of Chile in Dhaka to facilitate them (businessmen) to get visas,  arranging of Bangladesh single country fair and opening of trade centre in Chile.
The Latin American country-- Chile has a population of 17 million with per capita income of $ 23,000.
Bangladesh exported RMG goods worth US $ 15 million to Chile during the fiscal year (FY) 2012-13, a director of BGMEA told the FE.   
He said that Bangladesh has a vast scope to increase its RMG exports to Brazil, Argentina, Mexico and other Latin American countries.
When contacted, a high official of the ministry of commerce told the FE that they are working on it so that RMG items could get duty free market access to Chilean market.  
Bangladesh and Chile have always expressed their interest to expand the bilateral trade between the two countries.
Because of its strategic location, Chile has been identified as an important market for the expansion of Bangladeshi products in Latin America.
Except RMG items Chile granted duty-free and quota-free market access to the Bangladeshi products in 2013 in order to strengthen bilateral trade between the two nations.
The bilateral trade between the two countries stood at $30.37 million during the FY 2012- 13.
About 93 per cent of Bangladesh's export to Chile was textiles and ready made garment. The rest included jute yarn, jute fabrics, foot wears, caps and pharmaceutical products.