Bangladesh will engage in the third and final round of tariff discussions with the United States on July 29, 2025, as confirmed by Commerce Secretary Mahbubur Rahman. The meeting, which is part of ongoing negotiations over the US’s tariff rates on Bangladeshi goods, was initially scheduled for July 26, but was later moved to July 29 by the United States Trade Representative (USTR).
Bangladesh had submitted its position paper to the USTR on July 22, proposing the original date for the resumption of talks. However, the USTR set the new date for the discussions, which may take place either in person at the USTR office in Washington, DC, or via a virtual platform.
Should the talks be held in person, the Bangladesh delegation will depart for the United States on July 27. The delegation will be led by Commerce Adviser Sk Bashir Uddin, and will primarily focus on resolving the ongoing tariff issues between the two nations. While the discussions will occur in a government-to-government format, select private sector exporters from Bangladesh may join the delegation, although they will not directly participate in the negotiations.
The revised meeting comes amid growing expectations that Bangladesh may secure a reduction in its current 35 per cent tariff on its exports to the US. This is in line with recent US tariff reductions for other countries, including Japan (15 per cent), Indonesia (19 per cent), Vietnam (20 per cent), and the Philippines (19 per cent). Rahman has expressed optimism that Bangladesh will benefit from a similar reduction.
As part of the ongoing negotiations, Bangladesh has already offered to import a variety of US goods duty-free, including cotton, wheat, liquefied natural gas, aircraft, and other agricultural products. The country also took a significant step toward strengthening its trade ties with the US by signing a deal with American wheat suppliers on July 20, 2025. The agreement will see Bangladesh import 0.7 million tonnes of wheat, which is expected to further enhance the economic relationship between the two nations.
The upcoming round of talks is seen as a critical step for Bangladesh as it seeks more favourable tariff terms that could help boost its key export industries, particularly the ready-made garment sector, which is a vital component of the country’s economy.