Bangladesh Clears 48 EU Non-Tariff Barriers, 13 More Pending: Muktadir

🤝 Dhaka, Bangladesh — Bangladesh has resolved 48 out of 61 non-tariff barriers (NTBs) raised by the European Union, with work ongoing to address the remaining 13 obstacles, Commerce and Industry Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir announced at a joint press briefing held at the Commerce Ministry in Dhaka.

🌏 The briefing followed a meeting with officials of the EU Delegation to Bangladesh. EU Ambassador and Head of Delegation Michael Miller, Finance and Planning Ministry Adviser Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaid, State Minister for Planning Zonayed Abdur Rahim Saki, and senior officials from the commerce and foreign ministries attended the session.

📊 According to Muktadir, an EU delegation led by Ambassador Miller had raised several specific trade-related obstacles in March 2026 after the new government took office. Since then, coordinated efforts involving the National Board of Revenue (NBR), the agriculture, fisheries and livestock, and shipping ministries have helped resolve most of the issues identified.

👥 Barriers Addressed Include Logistics, Samples and Customs

✅ Among the barriers addressed were:

• 📋 Complications over licence renewals for 100% foreign-owned logistics companies
• 💰 An increase in the annual limit for importing commercial samples, raised from $10,000 to $20,000
• 🔍 Customs valuation issues involving scanning smart cards used for export traceability

🏛 Muktadir said Bangladesh had also formally sought EU support for its proposal to defer graduation from the Least Developed Country (LDC) category by three years. He expressed hope that the EU would back the proposal and that it would eventually be approved at the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly this month.

📈 The minister added that recommendations from the UN Committee for Development Policy (CDP) and the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) regarding the deferment proposal had been positive so far.

🤝 FTA and Investment Protection Talks on Horizon

🌏 Preparations are also advancing for talks with the EU on a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and an investment protection agreement. EU Ambassador Miller said the European Commission had responded positively to Bangladesh’s formal proposals for both agreements.

💬 “Joint technical discussions could begin as early as this week once the necessary approvals from EU member states are completed,” Miller said, signalling the seriousness of the engagement.

👥 Miller also stressed that a transparent, stable and competitive business environment would be necessary to deepen economic cooperation between Bangladesh and the EU. He added that both sides would benefit from greater transparency and fair competition in public procurement.

✈ Airbus Procurement Discussion on Table

✈ The ambassador expressed hope that discussions on Airbus procurement would move forward as part of efforts to expand aviation and trade cooperation between Bangladesh and the EU. The remarks signal that Bangladesh’s long-running consideration of a large aircraft deal with Airbus, alongside its existing Boeing fleet, may gain momentum through this round of bilateral engagement.

📊 Responding to a question on imports from the United States, Muktadir said Bangladesh makes import decisions based on national interest, economic rationale and public need. He said government procurement decisions involving energy, including LNG, and foodgrains are approved after considering competitive prices, product quality and wastage rates.

🌏 “Bangladesh’s trade policy is not driven by the influence of any particular country,” Muktadir said, adding that the country’s economic interests and public welfare remain the main considerations behind such decisions.

💰 Strategic Context for Bangladesh’s EU Trade

📊 The EU remains Bangladesh’s largest single export destination, absorbing the bulk of the country’s $47 billion annual garment exports under the Everything But Arms (EBA) preference scheme. With LDC graduation approaching and EBA benefits potentially at risk, accelerating the NTB resolution and pursuing a bilateral FTA have become strategic imperatives for Dhaka.

✅ The progress on NTBs, combined with the FTA discussion timeline, suggests a meaningful pivot in Bangladesh-EU trade relations — one that could secure duty-free market access beyond LDC graduation and lock in long-term export competitiveness for Bangladeshi manufacturers across apparel, leather, pharmaceuticals and agri-processing sectors.

🌏 For the country’s export community, the briefing signals that the institutional pipeline for EU market access is clearing, with both tariff and non-tariff fronts now under active negotiation — a development with major implications for the next five years of Bangladesh’s external trade strategy.