Bangladesh has strongly raised the issue of removing land port-based restrictions and non-tariff barriers on exporting goods to the Indian market during the 16th meeting of the Bangladesh-India Joint Working Group on trade in New Delhi.
Dhaka on Friday presented requests for the withdrawal of anti-dumping duties imposed on Bangladeshi jute products and PET film, whilst urging India to consider continuing existing duty-free tariff preferences following Bangladesh’s graduation from Least Developed Country (LDC) status.
A 10-member Bangladeshi delegation, led by Aysha Akter, additional secretary to the Ministry of Commerce, participated in the two-day meeting that started last Thursday, according to a Commerce Ministry press release.
The discussions focused on eliminating bilateral trade impediments, enhancing land port capacities, and making the regional freight transport system more effective.
Alongside Bangladesh’s proposals, the Indian delegation presented agenda items aimed at removing existing import and export restrictions and improving bilateral communication and transport infrastructure.
To protect the interests of domestic exporters, Bangladesh requested a review and withdrawal of restrictions on exporting Bangladeshi goods through Indian land ports. Talks also encompassed resolving tariff and non-tariff barriers, as well as other trade remedy measures, to facilitate smoother market access into India.
Market access and LDC graduation
Maintaining tariff preferences for Bangladeshi export items in the Indian market post-LDC graduation formed a crucial topic of deliberation.
In this context, Bangladesh submitted a proposal to retain the trade preferences currently available under the South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) agreement even after graduation.
Bangladesh emphasised establishing harmonisation in product standards, mutual recognition, and streamlining certification processes with the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).
In addition to market access, expanding cargo transit remains a priority, with Bangladesh placing on the agenda the movement of Bangladeshi cargo trucks to Nepal and Bhutan through Indian territory.
Moreover, Bangladesh highlighted making the CEOs Forum operational to foster direct communication and cooperation between business leaders of both nations.
Infrastructure and land port capacity
To ensure seamless land-based trade, Bangladesh highlighted the necessity of infrastructure development at India’s Land Customs Stations (LCS).
The Bangladeshi delegation presented proposals to upgrade entry points, parking yards, warehouses, and sheds, alongside expanding product testing and quarantine facilities.
Boosting border land port capacity and accelerating cargo clearance procedures were key focus areas. Meanwhile, India’s agenda featured the removal of port-specific restrictions on its exports of cotton yarn and other goods to Bangladesh.
India also included proposals to resolve export bottlenecks from its North-Eastern states to Bangladesh, develop regional connectivity, and expand multimodal transport systems.
The talks additionally covered enhancing the operational efficiency of commercial routes, including the Akhaura-Agartala link, upgrading Bangladesh-India railway connectivity, and managing border haats.
Both sides underscored increasing the operational efficiency of land ports, customs, and border operations to lower time and financial costs in bilateral trade.
While geographical proximity and regional connectivity offer significant potential for trade expansion, realising these benefits requires eliminating market access barriers and resolving border freight transport and clearance limitations.
It is expected that the Joint Working Group discussions will pave the way for progress and effective initiatives on these matters.
