Bangladesh wants to sign CEPA, then FTA with EU: Commerce Adviser

The delegation was led by EU ambassador to Bangladesh Michael Miller.

Both discussed various aspects of trade, investment and economic cooperation.

Bashir Uddin said the EU offers vast potential for further expansion of trade.

Miller said the EU has a trade imbalance with Bangladesh, and both sides can prosper by addressing existing challenges in trade and investment ties, according to domestic media reports.

The meeting was also attended by Spanish ambassador to Bangladesh Gabriel Sistiaga and Danish ambassador to the country Christian Brix Moller.

The EU is the largest trading bloc for Bangladesh, where goods worth more than $25 billion are exported annually, accounting for over three-fifths of the country's total merchandise exports.

Bangladesh has also been negotiating with the EU to secure GSP Plus status to enjoy zero-duty trade benefits after graduation from the least developed country (LDC) status. This is because the current tenure of the GSP status enjoyed by Bangladesh under the LDC category will end in 2029.

ALCHEMPro News Desk (DS)