Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies
Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies
The Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) organised a seminar titled “Bangladesh-US Tariff Deal: How to Optimise Trade Benefit” on 24 September 2025 at the BIISS auditorium. Dr Anisuzzaman Chowdhury, Special Assistant to the Honourable Chief Adviser, Ministry of Finance, attended as the Chief Guest, while Mr Mahbubur Rahman, Secretary, Ministry of Commerce, was the Special Guest. Major General Iftekhar Anis, BSP, awc, afwc, psc, PEng, Director General of BIISS, chaired the session and delivered the welcome and concluding remarks.
Presentations were made by Dr Mahfuz Kabir, Research Director, BIISS; Professor Dr Golam Rasul of IUBAT; and Mr Inamul Haq Khan, Senior Vice President of BGMEA. The discussion highlighted Bangladesh’s achievement in reducing the reciprocal tariff rate with the US from 35% to 20%, marking a significant diplomatic success that aligns Bangladesh’s tariff rate with other Asian competitors. Experts emphasized that while the deal presents major opportunities for expanding trade, especially in the garment sector, Bangladesh must adopt a strategic and holistic approach to fully capitalize on this advantage amid evolving global tariff challenges. The event saw active participation from government officials, diplomats, academics, business leaders, and researchers, who contributed valuable insights during the open discussion session.
Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) organised a Seminar on “Bangladesh-US Tariff Deal: How to Optimise Trade Benefit” on Wednesday, 24 September 2025, at the BIISS auditorium. Dr Anisuzzaman Chowdhury, Special Assistant to the Honourable Chief Adviser, Ministry of Finance, was the Chief Guest in the Seminar. Mr Mahbubur Rahman, Secretary Ministry of Commerce was present as the Special Guest. Major General Iftekhar Anis, BSP, awc, afwc, psc, PEng, Director General, BIISS, delivered the welcome address and concluding remarks while chairing the Session. Dr Mohammad Jasim Uddin, Research Director, BIISS, delivered the vote of thanks.
Three presentations were delivered in the Seminar. The presenters were Dr Mahfuz Kabir, Research Director, BIISS; Professor Dr Golam Rasul, Department of Economics, International University of Business Agriculture and Technology (IUBAT); and Mr Inamul Haq Khan, Senior Vice President, BGMEA. There was an Open Discussion Session following the presentations.
Distinguished speakers noted that through negotiations, Bangladesh succeeded in reducing the tariff to 20 per cent, effective from 01 August. Reducing the reciprocal tariff from 35 per cent to 20 per cent was hailed domestically as a historic diplomatic victory for Bangladesh. The reciprocal tariff rate for Bangladesh is similar to its Asian competitors, such as Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, while it remains far lower than some neighbours like Myanmar and India. With the US being one of Bangladesh’s largest markets, particularly for its garment industry, this deal can catalyse expanding trade relations if effectively utilised. However, to maximise the benefits of this tariff deal, Bangladesh needs to adopt a comprehensive strategy that addresses various aspects of its trade ecosystem. The future trajectory of this USinitiated tariff war remains uncertain. The evolving situation created by the US tariff demands immediate attention from policymakers, businessmen, and experts. Senior officials from different ministries, serving and retired military officials, diplomatic missions, media, researchers, academicians and students from various universities, representatives from different think tanks, and business personnel actively participated in the roundtable discussion and enriched it by presenting their valuable opinions, comments, suggestions, and observations during the open discussion session.
