The second-round negotiations between Bangladesh and the United States over the tariff issue in the US capital Washington DC ended on Friday with several issues remaining unresolved.
The two sides, during the five-hour-long negotiations on the day, failed to reach a consensus over some issues, including value addition criteria and keeping distance from sanction-hit companies, said officials attending the meeting.
Washington wanted Dhaka to maintain 40 per cent value addition criteria on export-oriented products to check reliance on China for raw materials.
Dhaka said that it would agree to the condition only after a guarantee was received to reduce the 35 per cent tariff threatened by the US president Donald Trump on July 8.
The US has decided to put the new tariff into force from August 1.
Bangladeshi exporters, who are facing a 15 per cent duty currently to enter the US market, apprehend setbacks if the proposed tariff remains unchanged.
The Bangladesh side, led by commerce adviser Sheikh Bashir Uddin, was聽 hopeful to win a deal from the latest talks that began on July 9.
But the US conditions like maintaining distance from sanction-hit companies, listed by the US, and reservations about some words of the proposed deal led to a stalemate.
Both sides have, however, agreed to engage at the inter-ministerial level to solve the unresolved issues, according to a press release from the chief adviser鈥檚 press wing on Saturday.
The two sides may sit again, said the press release, adding that the time and date of the meeting would be set soon.
National security adviser Khalilur Rahman and the chief adviser鈥檚 special assistant on ICT and telecommunications, Faiz Ahmed Tayeb, joined the meeting virtually from Dhaka.
The first-round negotiations between the two sides concluded on June 27.
Earlier, on April 3, the US had imposed a steep 37 per cent 鈥榬eciprocal鈥� tariff on Bangladeshi exports, but on April 9 the US president declared a pause on the tariff for three months.
In 2024, Bangladesh exported to the US goods worth about $8.4 billion, of which $7.34 billion accounted for readymade garments. In the year, the country imported US goods worth $2.2 billion.
In this backdrop, Washington has been asking Dhaka to reduce trade deficit with them.
Dhaka told Washington that it was taking steps to reduce duties and value-added tax on certain products, including wheat, soya bean, aircraft, and machinery, which Bangladesh imported from the US.
Dhaka also said that it was also actively considering placing an order for buying Boeing aircraft soon.
On the second day of the latest talks on July 10, the commerce adviser met with US Trade Representative Ambassador Jamieson Greer at the latter鈥檚 office.
