The United States could collect over $1 billion in tariffs on Bangladeshi goods if additional tariffs are imposed, as the US currently imports 1,208 items from Bangladesh, while Bangladesh imports 2,515 items from the US, according to a study by the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD).
CPD presented its analysis during a dialogue titled "Trump Reciprocal Tariffs and Bangladesh: Implications and Response," held at a hotel in Dhaka on Thursday, reports UNB.
In terms of duties, Bangladesh collects $2,215 per import on average, while the US collects $927. In 2024, the total value of US imports from Bangladesh exceeded $8.45 billion, compared to Bangladesh's imports from the US, which stood at approximately $2.53 billion.
CPD Distinguished Fellow Prof Mustafizur Rahman noted that Bangladesh imposes an average customs and related duty of 6.2 percent on US imports. After rebates, the weighted average tariff falls to 2.2 percent. In contrast, the US imposes a weighted average tariff of 15.1 percent on imports from Bangladesh, including $1.191 billion in duties on apparel alone.
The CPD urged Bangladesh to closely monitor the impact of US tariffs on its export competitiveness, particularly against countries like Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand. It recommended exploring strategic options such as engaging with the US through the Trade and Investment Cooperation Forum Agreement (TICFA).
Additionally, CPD suggested that Bangladesh request a list of US export items for which duty-free or reduced-duty access to the Bangladeshi market is desired.
The study also referenced the USTR's National Trade Estimate Report (March 2025), which raised concerns about Bangladesh’s trade policy, including its failure to submit transparency notifications under the Trade Facilitation Agreement, lack of WTO notifications on customs valuation legislation, and unresponsiveness to WTO queries regarding implementation of the customs valuation agreement.
Bd-pratidin English/ FNC
