Bangladesh Should "Work Closely with African LDCs to Get Duty-free Access to the U.S."

Bangladesh should work closely with the least developed countries (LDCs) of Africa to get duty- and quota-free access to the market, in the USA, the largest clothing importing economy in the world, discussants said at a forum Dec. 8, 2011.

They made strong pleas for taking steps at the political level by the government to obtain duty- and quota-free market access to the world's largest economy.

The speakers, however, stressed the need for exploring new opportunities including human resource exports to the developed nations under service sector waiver -- an agenda which might be approved in the eighth ministerial conference (MC8) in Geneva from December 15 to 17, 2011.

They expressed such views at a dialogue on upcoming world Trade Organisation (WTO) Ministerial: Challenges for Bangladesh.

The local think-tank, Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) organised the programme at a city convention centre with its executive director Professor Mustafizur Rahman in the chair.

Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Muhammed Faruk Khan joined the dialogue as the chief guest while former commerce minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury was the special guest on the occasion.

Speaking at the dialogue, Mr Faruk Khan said Bangladesh formed a committee for the MC8, at least, six months back.

"We've already prepared our positions for the ministerial conference," he said.

The ministerial conference is the topmost decision-making body of the WTO which usually meets every two years.

Mr Faruk Khan who is likely to lead the delegation in the MC8 said Bangladesh will attend a number of sideline meetings there.

"We'll talk with African countries and SAARC nations on the sidelines," he added.

Distinguished fellow of the CPD, Dr Debapriya Bhattacharyya presented the keynote paper at the dialogue session.

Mr Bhattacharyya said the LDCs might get the opportunities of sending their manpower to the advanced countries through the MC8.

He said: "We've to negotiate this issue (manpower export) so that the developed nations cannot put any condition."

He said Bangladesh should move to "second-generation" issues, beyond tariff preference ones and including rules of origin, non-tariff measures and rules.

He said the facilities concerning such issues might help expand Bangladesh's trade and exports.

He said a double-dip recession in the USA, the debt crisis in 17-member Eurozone countries and high inflation in China constitute some major threats to the developing nations.

He pointed out that the distance between Africa and Asian LDCs are expanding over getting the issues of trade privileges in the advanced economies.