Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus will personally engage with the US administration regarding the tariffs imposed on Bangladesh under President Donald Trump's 'reciprocal tariff' policy, Commerce Adviser Sk Bashir Uddin said on Saturday.
He made the remarks while briefing journalists following a high-level meeting with the Chief Adviser at CA's Jamuna residence in the evening.
"The Chief Adviser himself will reach out to the US administration, taking into account the nature and structure of our trade and the tariffs imposed," Sheikh Bashir said.
Dr. Khalilur Rahman, the Chief Adviser’s special representative, said that the matter had been under consideration since early February.
"This is not a sudden issue for us. The Chief Adviser instructed us in early February to initiate contact with the US government. I personally held discussions with the US State Department, Trade Representative, Department of Agriculture, and others in Washington during the second week of February," Dr. Khalil said.
He said that Bangladesh had been in ongoing communication with US authorities. “We are fully prepared to respond. Measures will be taken after further discussions with the US administration. There is no reason to panic,” he added.
On 3 April, US President Donald Trump announced a 37% tariff on Bangladeshi exports, alongside tariffs on imports from several other countries. Speaking at an event in the White House Rose Garden, President Trump revealed a poster listing retaliatory tariffs, including 37% on Bangladesh, 26% on India, 34% on China, and 20% on the European Union. He also announced a 10% baseline tariff on all imports to the US, with additional duties on major trading partners.
In response, CA Yunus convened an emergency meeting to formulate the government’s stance.
Among those present at the meeting were Finance Adviser Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed, Energy Adviser Dr. Fouzul Kabir Khan, Foreign Affairs Adviser Md. Touhid Hossain, CA's special envoy on International Affairs Lutfey Siddiqi, Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) Executive Chairman Ashik Chowdhury, Bangladesh Bank Governor Dr. Ahsan H. Mansur, Principal Secretary to CA Md Siraj Uddin Mia, Chief Coordinator of SDG Affairs of the Chief Adviser's office Lamiya Morshed, Finance Secretary Khairuzzaman Mozumder, Chairman of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) Abdur Rahman Khan, and PRI Chairman Dr. Zaidi Sattar.
BDST: 1132 HRS, APR 06, 2025
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