Demand to keep 30% VAT condition on raw material imports
Demand to keep 30% VAT condition on raw material imports

The Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA) has urged the government to retain the existing 30 percent value addition requirement on raw material imports backed by bank guarantees, alongside a set of policy reforms aimed at supporting the countrys primary textile industry. The demand was...

US proposes new tariffs on Bangladesh, 59 others over forced labour concerns
US proposes new tariffs on Bangladesh, 59 others over forced labour concerns

The Trump administration on Tuesday proposed imposing additional duties of 10% or ​12.5% on imports from 60 economies including Bangladesh after determining that their failure to curb trade in goods made with forced labour is unreasonable and restricts US commerce. The proposal from the US...

Trade under dual pressure
Trade under dual pressure

The countrys foreign trade sector is under mounting strain from two sides. On one hand, export earnings are falling, while on the other, the cost of importing essential goods such as food, fuel, and industrial raw materials continues to rise. As a result, the overall business environment is...

Investment slowdown deepens as machinery imports fall
Investment slowdown deepens as machinery imports fall

The pace of new investment has slowed significantly, as reflected in the continued decline in capital machinery imports, one of the key indicators of industrial investment. The downward trend has persisted for three consecutive fiscal years and has continued into the first nine months of the...

BPC chief says 23% of expected refined oil consignments imported in April
BPC chief says 23% of expected refined oil consignments imported in April

Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) Chairman Md Rezanur Rahman has said that 3-4 of the total 17 refined oil shipments expected in April has reached the country so far, with only 12 days remaining in the month. Speaking to BBC Bangla, the BPC chief gave a brief outlook of refined and crude...

50–60% duties stall Bangladesh’s renewable energy growth: BSREA
50–60% duties stall Bangladesh’s renewable energy growth: BSREA

Bangladeshs renewable energy sector is struggling to expand due to high import duties on equipment, with industry leaders urging the government to prioritise clean energy to address the countrys ongoing power crisis. At a press conference held at the National Press Club in Dhaka on Monday , the...

Fuel import surge strains forex reserves amid Middle East turmoil
Fuel import surge strains forex reserves amid Middle East turmoil

Energy and external sectors are coming under mounting pressure as the government turns to costly alternative fuel imports amid global supply disruptions and escalating tensions in the Middle East. Rising import bills, growing strain on foreign exchange reserves, and uncertainty over remittance...