National security adviser Khalilur Rahman has said, “Today, we have successfully avoided a possible 35 per cent reciprocal tariff. This is good news for our garment sector and the millions dependent on it.”
The adviser made the remarks in reaction after the US reduced the reciprocal tariff by 15 per cent to 20 per cent following the third round of talks, a press release from Washington DC said.
Chief adviser’s press secretary Shafiqul Alam shared the press release from his verified Facebook page.
The new rate was announced in an executive order by US President Donald Trump yesterday, Thursday local time. Earlier, the US administration had informed Bangladesh in a letter about the imposition of a 35 per cent reciprocal tariff. Based on that, the new rate reflects a 15 per cent reduction.
Led by commerce adviser Sk Bashir Uddin, national security adviser Khalilur Rahman, commerce secretary Mahbubur Rahman and additional secretary Nazneen Kawshar Chowdhury were present during the tariff talk.
In his reaction Khalilur Rahman said, “We have discussed cautiously to ensure that our commitments align with national interests and capabilities.”
He further said, “Protecting our garment industry was the highest priority. However, we also stressed our commitment to purchasing American agricultural products. This will help us achieve our food security goals and foster goodwill with the US's agriculture-led states.”
Khalilur Rahman said, “We have also maintained our global competitive capacity and created new opportunities to enter the world’s largest consumer market.”