BD to get duty-, quota-free access to Chile mkt from Jan

FE Team | Published: May 07, 2014 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2025 06:01:00

Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed Tuesday said Bangladesh will sign a preferential trade agreement (PTA) with Chile soon, reports UNB.
"Chile has decided to provide quota-free and duty-free market access for Bangladesh from 1st January 2015. We're preparing a draft agreement to sign the PTA with Chile," he said at a seminar on the 'Role of Honorary Consuls in Promoting Bilateral Trade and Investment' in the city.
Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) and Friedrich Naumann Foundation (FNF) jointly organised the seminar, with FBCCI president Kazi Akram Uddin Ahmed in the chair.
Prime Minister's Foreign Affairs Adviser Dr Gowher Rizvi, former ambassador Mohammad Zamir, FNF regional director of South Asia Seigfried Herzog, its country representative Dr Najmul Hossain, president of Bangladesh Consular Corps Asif A Chowdhury, and New Zealand's consul in Bangladesh Niaz Ahmed also spoke at the function.
Former ambassador Humayun Kabir made the keynote presentation at the seminar.
Urging entrepreneurs and diplomats to go for diversification of market and products of Bangladesh, Tofail Ahmed said the government has taken a move under its five-year plan to diversify the country's products as well as markets around the globe.
"We'll visit some parts of Africa to expand our market, as the continent is a potential destination for our products," he said, adding the North American market can also be a potential destination for Bangladesh products.
The commerce minister said as per the World Trade Organisation's (WTO) ministerial meeting decision, many countries in the world offered duty-free and quota-free market access to Bangladesh products.
"But, unfortunately Bangladesh is yet to get duty- and quota-free market access from America."
He said Bangladesh is hopeful of retaining the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) from the US, as many of the conditions were fulfilled. The two countries have signed TICFA, which will help expand Bangladeshi products' market there.
Tofail said Bangladesh is now ahead of Pakistan in many considerations, as Bangladesh's export is $35 billion against Pakistan's $20 billion.
Bangladesh's foreign exchange reserve is also higher than that of Pakistan, he added.
Dr Gowher Rizvi urged the consuls and diplomats serving in Bangladesh and abroad to present the country with its real achievements in different sectors.
He said Bangladesh is progressing fast with its Muslim majority population and secular culture.
Humayun Kabir said Bangladesh has 52 diplomatic missions in different countries. Beside, another 81 honorary consuls are representing Bangladesh in different countries, while 52 consuls of different countries are working in Bangladesh, of whom most are based in Chittagong.
He said by appointing the honorary consuls abroad, Bangladesh can expand its diplomatic relations with different countries in a cost effective and efficient manner.
He said honorary consuls can play a supplementary role in expanding trade. They can be the spearhead and bridge builder of economic diplomacy, and can build up the country's image.
Humayun Kabir observed that Bangladesh lacks coordinated efforts in using its honorary consuls and their services.
Niaz Ahmed urged the government to review some of the present policies of the foreign ministry, which discourage consuls to play a widespread role.