Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed, MP, on Wednesday rejected US Ambassador Dan Mozena's statement on duty-free access that Bangladesh does not pay duty in American market.
Rejecting the Ambassador's statement made at a function of the Economic Reporters Forum Tuesday that Bangladesh pays zero duty, Tofail said United States didn't give duty- free access to Bangladeshi products.
The US Ambassador claimed that Bangladesh pays zero duty to US market is totally 'false statement'. . . the United States didn't provide us duty- free access even after repeated request," the Minister said at a programme.
The minister replied to the US Ambassador's comment at a programme of Bangladesh Indenting Agents' Association (BIAA) at CIRDAP auditorium for the achievement of ISO 9001 certificate from SAI Global of Australia.
Bangladesh has paid US$ 3.41 billion duty to US in last three years and US$ 828 million each year, the Commerce Minister said America provides zero duty to the products of Sub-Saharan African countries.
Bangladesh is the second largest RMG exporters in the world, but international conspiracy is going on against our RMG sector, the minister said adding that after the Rana Plaza tragedy, the US had imposed 16 conditions on us. We've forwarded report to the USTR after fulfilling those conditions.
But, now US wants us to do more things to get GSP facilities, actually their conditions would not end, the minister added.
FBCCI President Kazi Akram Uddin Ahmed and Bangladesh Insurance Association President Sheikh Kabir Hossain also spoke at the function chaired by BIAA President K M H Shahidul Huq.