---

Bangladesh has pledged to accelerate trade and regulatory reforms under its Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART) with the United States, saying the country must remove long-standing barriers to remain competitive and attract investment.

Commerce Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir said Bangladesh had no alternative but to dismantle policy bottlenecks and modernise its business environment.

“We are left with no other option but to remove the bottlenecks,” he said at a high-level luncheon and policy dialogue organised by AmCham Bangladesh at Sheraton Dhaka on Tuesday.

He said Bangladesh was committed to opening its market, simplifying procedures and creating a more investor-friendly climate for both domestic and foreign businesses. According to him, non-tariff barriers such as radiation and pesticide testing requirements have affected not only US firms but investors and exporters from many countries.

“We are not doing this to please the US. We are doing it for our own survival and competitiveness,” he added.

US Ambassador to Bangladesh Brent T. Christensen urged Dhaka to move quickly on legal and administrative reforms needed to implement the ART. He said the agreement helps preserve Bangladesh’s access to the US market with a competitive 19 per cent tariff, compared with 35 per cent without the deal.

The envoy said Bangladesh now needs to pass required legislation, revise regulations that create unnecessary barriers, train customs and regulatory officials, establish one-stop investor services and ensure clear approval timelines.

“We have an excellent framework in ART and incredible opportunities. Now we need action,” he said.

He also referred to planned commercial deals involving $3.5 billion worth of US agricultural products and $15 billion in energy products, saying stronger two-way trade would create jobs and opportunities in both countries.

Calling Bangladesh a difficult place to do business, the ambassador stressed the need for policy predictability, stronger contract enforcement and modernised commercial practices.

He noted that Bangladesh would need around $180 billion in energy-sector investment by 2050 to meet growing demand. He added that Chevron currently supplies about half of Bangladesh’s natural gas, while US companies contribute more than half of the country’s power generation.

The commerce minister also sought continued US support for Bangladesh’s smooth graduation from least developed country (LDC) status. He said Dhaka has proposed extending the transition period and is targeting November 2029 for graduation.

On the ongoing US Section 301 trade investigation, he said Bangladesh’s export capacity is demand-driven, especially in the readymade garment sector, where production depends on confirmed orders from global buyers rather than excess capacity.

“In reality, many factories are operating below capacity because of energy and infrastructure constraints,” he said. “Our exports complement rather than compete with US products.”

He also highlighted the untapped potential for Bangladeshi pharmaceutical exports to the US market, saying entry remains limited by complex, costly and time-consuming regulatory procedures.