Malaysia offers duty-free entry of 300 BD products
Thursday, 9 June 2011
Our Correspondent
CHITTAGONG, June 8: The government of Malaysia has offered duty-free entry of approximately 300 Bangladeshi products into its market. Malaysia has abolished import duty on the products in a new move to promote the country as Asia's premier shopping hub for the tourists, said sources in the export promotion bureau in Dhaka. Duty-free access of Bangladeshi products to Malaysia includes apparel, handbags, shoes, shampoo, suits, children's apparel, wallets, hair colourants, golf balls, imitation jewellery, talcum powder, curtains, tablecloth, blankets, bed sheets, shirts, undergarments, lingerie, nightwear, perfumes and mosquito nettings. Assistant Director of Trade Information Centre at the EPB in Dhaka Ms Rahima Begum said a circular in this regard was issued upon receipt of a letter from the commercial wing of Bangladesh High Commission in Kuala Lumpur. The letter stated that in line with measures to promote the tourism industry, import duty on most dutiable tourism products with FOB (freight on board) value exceeding RM200 have been given exemption. Prior to elimination the import duties on handbag, wallets, suitcases, briefcases, apparel, footwear, hats, costume jewellery and ornaments, dolls and recreational models were in the range of 5.0 per cent to 20 per cent while those on talcum powder, face powder, shampoo, blanket, bedspreads, curtains and table cloth were between 10.0 per cent and 20 per cent. Earlier in April 2010 Malaysia agreed to allow duty-free entry of 19 items of Bangladeshi exportable products into its market provided the latter starts negotiations on bilateral free trade agreement (FTA). But Dhaka did not agree with the Malaysian proposal of offering duty-free access on condition of signing an FTA, commerce ministry sources said. Malaysia is currently one of Bangladesh's major trading partners and the total amount of export to the country was estimated around US$ 35 million in the fiscal year 2009-10.
CHITTAGONG, June 8: The government of Malaysia has offered duty-free entry of approximately 300 Bangladeshi products into its market. Malaysia has abolished import duty on the products in a new move to promote the country as Asia's premier shopping hub for the tourists, said sources in the export promotion bureau in Dhaka. Duty-free access of Bangladeshi products to Malaysia includes apparel, handbags, shoes, shampoo, suits, children's apparel, wallets, hair colourants, golf balls, imitation jewellery, talcum powder, curtains, tablecloth, blankets, bed sheets, shirts, undergarments, lingerie, nightwear, perfumes and mosquito nettings. Assistant Director of Trade Information Centre at the EPB in Dhaka Ms Rahima Begum said a circular in this regard was issued upon receipt of a letter from the commercial wing of Bangladesh High Commission in Kuala Lumpur. The letter stated that in line with measures to promote the tourism industry, import duty on most dutiable tourism products with FOB (freight on board) value exceeding RM200 have been given exemption. Prior to elimination the import duties on handbag, wallets, suitcases, briefcases, apparel, footwear, hats, costume jewellery and ornaments, dolls and recreational models were in the range of 5.0 per cent to 20 per cent while those on talcum powder, face powder, shampoo, blanket, bedspreads, curtains and table cloth were between 10.0 per cent and 20 per cent. Earlier in April 2010 Malaysia agreed to allow duty-free entry of 19 items of Bangladeshi exportable products into its market provided the latter starts negotiations on bilateral free trade agreement (FTA). But Dhaka did not agree with the Malaysian proposal of offering duty-free access on condition of signing an FTA, commerce ministry sources said. Malaysia is currently one of Bangladesh's major trading partners and the total amount of export to the country was estimated around US$ 35 million in the fiscal year 2009-10.