Dhaka to request Delhi to drop 450 items from sensitive list
Thursday, 9 August 2007
Bangladesh would request India to drop from its sensitive list 450 products of Bangladesh's export interest on non-reciprocal basis to derive trade benefits as assured by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, reports UNB.
An inter-ministerial meeting at the Ministry of Commerce Wednesday finalised the products to create a ground for the duty-free access of the products to the Indian market, a senior official told the news agency.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs would communicate with the Indian authorities the country's desire to have the products dropped from the Indian sensitive list that restrict duty-free export of the products from Bangladesh as also from other LDCs in SAFTA.
"The meeting also finalised another list of 100 products for a second approach, if India turns down the first one," a trade body representative said. Of the products, 47 are from the apparel sector and 53 from other sectors.
At the 14th SAARC Summit in India in April this year, the Indian Prime Minister had assured of duty-free access of products produced in the LDCs and downsize their sensitive list in the LDCs' favour.
The Indian sensitive list has got 744 products of the Least Developed Countries (LDCs), debarring the products from enjoying duty-free status under SAFTA.
Senior officials from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Industries, Fisheries and Livestock, and Agriculture, Export Promotion Bureau (EPB), Bangladesh Bank and Bangladesh tariff Commission attended the meeting held with Joint Commerce Secretary Abdul Wahab Mian in the chair.
Representatives from trade body organisations, including FBCCI, DCCI, MCCI, BGMEA and BTMA, and civil society think-tank CPD were also present at the meeting.
Officials said the Bangladesh Tariff Commission earlier in their two meetings prepared the list of products, which the meeting endorsed only.
An inter-ministerial meeting at the Ministry of Commerce Wednesday finalised the products to create a ground for the duty-free access of the products to the Indian market, a senior official told the news agency.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs would communicate with the Indian authorities the country's desire to have the products dropped from the Indian sensitive list that restrict duty-free export of the products from Bangladesh as also from other LDCs in SAFTA.
"The meeting also finalised another list of 100 products for a second approach, if India turns down the first one," a trade body representative said. Of the products, 47 are from the apparel sector and 53 from other sectors.
At the 14th SAARC Summit in India in April this year, the Indian Prime Minister had assured of duty-free access of products produced in the LDCs and downsize their sensitive list in the LDCs' favour.
The Indian sensitive list has got 744 products of the Least Developed Countries (LDCs), debarring the products from enjoying duty-free status under SAFTA.
Senior officials from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Industries, Fisheries and Livestock, and Agriculture, Export Promotion Bureau (EPB), Bangladesh Bank and Bangladesh tariff Commission attended the meeting held with Joint Commerce Secretary Abdul Wahab Mian in the chair.
Representatives from trade body organisations, including FBCCI, DCCI, MCCI, BGMEA and BTMA, and civil society think-tank CPD were also present at the meeting.
Officials said the Bangladesh Tariff Commission earlier in their two meetings prepared the list of products, which the meeting endorsed only.