Following the approval of the Cabinet for a preferential trade agreement (PTA) with Bhutan that has paved way for signing of a new agreement in this direction between the two countries, entrepreneurs in Bangladesh are expecting new business opportunities to emerge, in terms of exports.
We have started a new journey by approving the PTA with Bhutan, reportedly stated Bangladesh Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi to the media after the Cabinet’s approval of the same.
Once the agreement is signed, goods from Bangladesh – apparel items and clothing accessories, plywood, jackets and blazers along with other products like mineral and carbonated water, particle boards, green tea, orange juice, pineapple juice and guava juice, etc. – would get duty-free access to Bhutan, claimed media reports.
We see opportunities everywhere, especially when it is within our South Asian region, stated President of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), Dr. Rubana Huq on the development while adding Bangladesh has exported garment items worth more than US $ 300,000 to Bhutan at 30 per cent duty.
As per reports, in in fiscal 2018-19, bilateral trade between Bangladesh and Bhutan was around US $ 57.9 million.
