Government forms working committee on international trade disputes
A file photo shows containers at the Port of Chattogram. The Ministry of Commerce has formed a high-level working committee on trade remedies to work on disputes related to international trade, including anti-dumping duties, and to make successful Bangladesh’s participation in negotiations at the World Trade Organization and with trading partners on these issues. — New Age Photo
The Ministry of Commerce has formed a high-level working committee on trade remedies to work on disputes related to international trade, including anti-dumping duties, and to make successful Bangladesh’s participation in negotiations at the World Trade Organization and with trading partners on these issues.
The Ministry of Commerce recently formed an 18-member committee comprising representatives from the public and private sectors and headed by the Director General of the Ministry’s WTO Unit.
The committee will mainly make recommendations to the government on Bangladesh’s position in the WTO negotiations on anti-dumping, subsidies and countervailing measures and safeguard measures and regional trade agreements.
It will prepare its recommendations after collecting updated data and analyzing the issues, according to a ministry order.
The committee will prepare recommendations and participate in consultations with countries that take action to impose anti-dumping, countervailing and safeguard duties on the import of products from Bangladesh.
The ministry included in the committee representatives from the Finance Division, the National Board of Revenue, the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Agriculture, Industry, Fisheries and Animal Husbandry, Textiles and jute, Bangladesh Trade and Tariff Commission, Bangladesh Bank, Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association and Manufacturers Association and exporters of knitwear from Bangladesh.
According to the order, the committee will hold a meeting at least once a month to prepare recommendations for the government committee related to the WTO.
The officials said the ministry has formed the committee to ensure effective and efficient participation in negotiations on trade remedy issues as the number of cases of imposition of anti-dumping and other duties against Bangladeshi exports has increased.
In recent years, India, Pakistan, Indonesia, Turkey and Argentina have imposed import duties on Bangladeshi products, including jute and jute products, hydrogen peroxide, netting fishing gear and clothing.
India has also initiated an investigation to impose an anti-dumping duty on the import of clear float glass from Bangladesh.
This is the eighth working committee the ministry has formed to assist the government’s high-level committee on WTO affairs.
Earlier in January 2021, the ministry formed seven working committees to assist the committee, prepare recommendations and make successful Bangladesh’s participation in the WTO negotiations.
Committees include Working Committee on Non-Agricultural Market Access and WTO Rules, Services Sector, Agreement on Agriculture and Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures, TRIPS Agreement and technical barriers to trade, trade facilitation and customs valuation, trade and environment and the working committee on trade-related issues. technical assistance.
