Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) organized a seminar titled “Bangladesh-US Tariff Deal: How to Optimise Trade Benefit” at BIISS Auditorium on Wednesday (September 24, 2025). The chief guest of the seminar was Dr. Anisuzzaman Chowdhury, Special Assistant to the Hon’ble Principal Advisor, Ministry of Finance.
Mr. Mahbubur Rahman, Secretary, Ministry of Commerce was the special guest. The session was presided over by Major General Iftekhar Anis, BSP, AWC, AFWC, PSC, PEng, Director General, BIISS. He also delivered the welcome address and closing remarks. Dr. Mohammad Jasim Uddin, Research Director, BIISS, proposed the vote of thanks.
Three presentations were given in the seminar. The presenter was Dr. Mahfuz Kabir, Director of Research, BIISS; Dr. Golam Rasool, Professor, Department of Economics, International University of Business Agriculture and Technology (IUBAT) and Mr. Enamul Haque Khan, Senior Vice President, BGMEA. The presentations were followed by an open discussion session.
The eminent panellists noted that through negotiations, Bangladesh has succeeded in reducing tariffs to 20 percent from August 1. The reduction in reciprocal tariffs from 35 percent to 20 percent has been hailed as a historic diplomatic victory for Bangladesh. Bangladesh’s reciprocal tariff rate is similar to that of its Asian competitors such as Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Pakistan and Sri Lanka; and is much lower than some of its neighbors such as Myanmar and India. The United States is one of Bangladesh’s largest markets, especially for the garment industry, and if effectively utilized, this agreement can play a significant role in expanding trade relations. However, to maximize the benefits of this tariff agreement, Bangladesh will have to adopt a comprehensive strategy addressing various aspects of its trade ecosystem. The future course of this US-initiated tariff war remains uncertain. The emerging situation created by the US tariffs demands immediate attention of policymakers, businessmen and experts.
Senior officials of various ministries, serving and retired military officers, diplomatic missions, media, researchers, academicians and students of various universities, representatives of various think tanks and business personalities actively participated in the seminar and enriched the event by presenting their valuable views, comments, suggestions and observations in the open discussion session.
