Mustafizur Rahman, a distinguished fellow at the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), has called for a review of the trade agreement with the United States. He argued that the imposition of an additional 10% tariff by the US would not resolve the issue of forced labor and could exacerbate it. Rahman made these remarks during a press conference held at the CPD office in Dhanmondi on a report titled 'Bangladesh Economy in FY 2025-26: Multidimensional Challenges in the Post-Pandemic Era'.
The US Trade Representative's Office (USTR) proposed imposing additional tariffs on goods from Bangladesh and 59 other countries, accusing them of failing to prevent the import of goods made with forced labor. The US aims to impose an additional 10 to 12.5% tariff on these countries' goods.
Rahman noted that the US often views Bangladesh through its own lens, potentially misjudging the realities of the country. He highlighted that child labor exists in brick kilns and other places in Bangladesh, often due to family necessity. According to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), there are 3.2 million street children in the country. He questioned the US's approach of imposing additional 10% tariffs on exports instead of providing assistance to reduce child labor.
Rahman explained that the US has imposed countervailing duties on 60 countries, with only nine having agreements with the US. The average tariff on Bangladeshi goods in the US market is 15%, with an additional 19% countervailing duty, totaling 34%. With the new 10% tariff, the total would reach 44%. He emphasized the need to reconsider the trade agreement, given that countries without agreements face lower tariffs.
Rahman concluded that the US trade agreement needs to be reviewed. He stressed that imposing an additional 10% tariff would not solve the problem and could lead to more forced labor.
