On Wednesday (August 13, 2025), a delegation from the US Embassy in Dhaka met with Mahmud Hasan Khan, President of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA).
The meeting discussed various issues of mutual interest, especially increasing Bangladeshi ready-made garment exports to the US market and enhancing economic cooperation, with a view to further strengthening the bilateral trade relationship between the United States and Bangladesh.
The US Embassy delegation included Labor Attaché Leena Khan, Foreign Commercial Service Attaché Paul G. Frost, and Foreign Agricultural Service Attaché Erin Covert.
In the meeting held at the BGMEA Complex in Uttara, BGMEA President Mahmud Hasan led the discussion, while Senior Vice President Enamul Haque Khan, Vice President Md. Rezwan Selim, Vice President (Finance) Mizanur Rahman, Vice President Vidya Amrit Khan, Director Mohammad Abdur Rahim, Director Faisal Samad, Sheikh Hossain Mohammad Mostafiz also participated in the discussion on behalf of BGMEA.
The meeting discussed in detail the condition given by the US government through an executive order – if at least 20% of US raw materials are used in garments exported from Bangladesh, then the issue of proportional exemption from the newly imposed additional 20% duty on those products was discussed in detail.
BGMEA President Mahmud Hasan Khan welcomed this and said that the Bangladeshi garment industry is keen to utilize this facility.
The BGMEA leaders asked the US delegation to assess the use of US raw materials in the export products and determine transparency and traceability (it will be possible to track the entire supply chain from cotton production to the final product) and sought the embassy’s cooperation in this regard.
The meeting also discussed the possibility of establishing a warehouse near the Chittagong port to expedite cotton imports from the US. It was said that it could be established by a Bangladeshi initiative or a US initiative or a joint venture. It was further said that this warehouse would play a role in reducing lead time in the garment industry.
The BGMEA leaders said that in addition to importing cotton from the US, they are interested in importing man-made fibers like polyester and nylon from the US (if the US textile sector is doing these). They sought the cooperation of the US embassy to get detailed information in this regard. In response, Foreign Commercial Service Attaché Paul G. Frost said that they will discuss the matter with the relevant departments of the US government and provide details.
The meeting also discussed the possible collaboration of BGMEA with the US Cotton Council. Foreign Commercial Service Attaché Paul G. Frost said that the embassy will discuss the matter with the US Department of Textiles and provide feedback to BGMEA.
The meeting also discussed the country’s gas and electricity situation. BGMEA leaders expressed optimism that Bangladesh will import LNG gas from the US in the future.
The issue of labor rights was of particular importance in the meeting. BGMEA President Mahmud Hasan Khan said that a stable labor situation in the garment sector is one of the priorities of BGMEA and that its board has been in dialogue with 81 labor federations to build sound industrial relations since taking office. He also informed the US embassy delegation about the progress of the country’s legal reforms aimed at ensuring labor rights and welfare.
The US Embassy delegation said that it is an international expectation that Bangladesh’s labor laws will be reformed in line with international standards and that this is the desire of the ILO and the European Union. BGMEA leaders emphasized the need to maintain closer communication with the US Embassy in Dhaka on labor-related issues so that there is no ambiguity anywhere.
The US delegation in Dhaka advised BGMEA leaders to participate in the upcoming conference of Select USA, a US national initiative to increase garment exports from Bangladesh to the US, to be held in May 2026. They said that this will significantly help Bangladeshi garment entrepreneurs build business networking in the US.
In the meeting, both sides expressed optimism about further strengthening the economic partnership and mutual cooperation between the two countries in the future.
