Do \\\'something more\\\' to regain trade benefits: US envoy

FE Report | Published: August 14, 2015 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00

US Ambassador in Dhaka Marcia Stephens Bloom Bernicat has said offering or restoring Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) facility to Bangladesh was not a political issue at all.
She made the comments on Wednesday while briefing journalists after visiting two factories in Gazipur on the day.
Replying to a question she said: "To regain GSP facility, Bangladesh has to fulfil a total of 16 conditions given by the US."
Washington renewed the trade facility for 122 nations around the world on Monday, but Bangladesh has been excluded from the list.
The US suspended Bangladesh from getting GSP facility in June 2013, following the country's 'failure' to meet statutory eligibility requirements related to workers' rights.
Her comments came a day after Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed ruled out the possibility of taking no steps to get back the facility.
He said Bangladesh has fulfilled all conditions to get back GSP, but the facility is still suspended. He termed it a 'political decision'.
However, the US envoy said her country had been scrutinising Bangladesh's labour condition since 10 years before Rana Plaza disaster.
"The industrial disaster only worsened the situation, and the trade committee could not argue in favour of Bangladesh's GSP facility before the US Congress after the disaster."
Ms Bernicat also said Bangladesh certainly would get back GSP, but it has to do something more. "A lot have been done in RMG sector after Rana Plaza disaster. Still many things to be done, including improvement of labour rights," she said.
The US Ambassador along with Canadian High Commissioner in Dhaka Benoit-Pierre Laramee, EU Ambassador Pierre Mayaudon, Spanish Ambassador Eduardo de Laiglesia Y del Rosal, Australian Charge-de-Affairs Dr. Lueinda Bell, French Charge-de-Affairs Jean-Piere PONCET, the Netherlands Charge-de-Affairs Martine van Hoogstraten and German Charge-de-Affairs Thomas Prinz visited UTAH Fashion Ltd and Epyllion Style Ltd in Gazipur. Ms Bernicat said the RMG factories in Bangladesh can follow the standard of these two factories.
President of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) M Atiqul Islam said it is very unfortunate that GSP has not been restored for Bangladesh.He urged the US envoy to take steps to get back GSP, as it is an 'image issue' for Bangladesh.
bdsmile@gmail.com