Bangladesh has sought New Zealand’s support for its membership in the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).
The country also requested cooperation for extending its period for graduation from the Least Developed Country (LDC) category by three years until November 2029, and for signing a comprehensive bilateral Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the two countries.
The proposals were made at a high‑level policy meeting at New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) in Wellington on Tuesday, according to the Ministry of Commerce.
The New Zealand side was led by Sarah Meymand, divisional manager of the Trade Negotiations and Policy Division, and Jonas Holland, unit manager.
Commerce Secretary Md Ataur Rahman Khan led the Bangladesh delegation. Officials from the FTA Wing and Counselor Ishtiaque Ahmed of the Bangladesh High Commission in Wellington were present at the meeting.
Bangladesh presented a roadmap to turn existing commercial ties into a stronger, long‑term partnership. It said it has already submitted the required questionnaire for RCEP membership and is pursuing reforms to meet trade standards.
These reforms include lowering tariffs on industrial raw materials and high‑tech machinery, opening up telecom, financial and logistics sectors, and modernising laws on competition, patents, copyrights and data protection.
Bangladesh also proposed phased tariff flexibility for sensitive industries over 15–20 years, similar to provisions for ASEAN’s LDC members.
The delegation also explained the need for more time in its LDC graduation process. Bangladesh has applied to the UN General Assembly to extend the timeline to November 2029, citing global and domestic challenges such as the Russia‑Ukraine war, Middle East conflicts, rising energy prices and inflation.
It highlighted ongoing socioeconomic changes after the 2024 student‑led uprising, efforts to stabilise foreign reserves, and the need for institutional reforms.
The possibility of a bilateral FTA with New Zealand was also discussed. Bangladesh said it will formally begin negotiations, following earlier talks between the two commerce ministers ahead of the WTO’s 14th Ministerial Conference.
An FTA, it argued, would give New Zealand greater access to Bangladesh’s market of nearly 170 million people, especially for dairy products, agricultural machinery and metal goods.
Bangladesh proposed three measures to strengthen future trade cooperation: establishing an annual Bilateral Trade Policy Consultative Group to review post-LDC market access and RCEP interests; forming a joint working group to initiate FTA negotiations; and enhancing diplomatic coordination in New York to secure New Zealand’s support for Bangladesh’s request for additional time for LDC graduation.
Bangladesh also invited a New Zealand policy‑level delegation to visit Dhaka soon. New Zealand authorities responded positively.
