Updated on : 22-03-2022

Bangladesh today reiterated its long standing demand to India for lifting of anti-dumping duty on Bangladesh's jute products and removal of trade barriers at the Bangladesh-India commerce secretary level meeting concluded here this evening.

The Bangladesh side also raised the issues of India's recognition on BSTI standard certificate on more products, duty free access of Bangladeshi products to Indian markets and India's new custom rules (CAROTAR, 2020).

Besides, finalisation of joint study report on Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) and development of infrastructure at border custom stations and land ports in bordering areas also came up in the discussion prominently, diplomatic sources told BSS here.

Bangladesh Commerce Secretary Tapan Kanti Ghosh and his Indian counterpart B.V.R Subrahmanyam led their respective sides at the meeting. Representatives of relevant departments from both the countries joined the meeting.

When contacted sources said the Indian side has "taken note" of Bangladesh's demand and put forward it to higher authorities.

Earlier, the 14th meeting of Bangladesh-India Joint Working Group on Trade (JWGT) was held as additional secretaries of both the countries led their respective delegation to the meeting.
 
Regarding anti-dumping duty on Bangladesh's jute products, sources said Bangladesh is long been demanding lifting of anti-dumping duty imposed by India on its jute products from 2017 for five years that was "largely affecting Bangladesh's trade in India".

Although the matter was prominently discussed in the last commerce secretary level meeting held in Dhaka on March last year, but no significant headway was made yet to this end, a source familiar with the development said earlier.

According to official sources, Bangladesh's export to India has shown a remarkable increase during the past several years.

Official data shows that total trade volume between India and Bangladesh in 2020-2021 financial year was about 9.9 billion US Dollars, of which, Bangladesh's export to India was 1.3 billion US Dollars, the highest in the history.

The last commerce secretary level meeting between the two countries was held in March last year in Dhaka.

Source: March 4, 2022 (BSS)