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WTO meets in Mexico this year

Dhaka to seek flexibility in rules of origins

STAR BUSINESS REPORT
Bangladesh will press for flexibility in the rules of origins at the next WTO negotiations scheduled to be held in Cancon, Mexico late this year.
Before the WTO summit Bangladesh will try to mobilise support of least developed countries (LDCs) at a LDCs ministerial meeting scheduled for May 31-June 2 in Dhaka.
Commerce Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury disclosed Dhaka's strategy of trade talks negotiation at a policy dialogue on South Asian Centre for Policy Studies (SACEPS) task force reports on South Asian cooperation in Dhaka yesterday.
Commerce minister said the prevailing 30 per cent stipulation of rules of origins is untenable and it should be reduced to 25 per cent.
Praising Canada's 25 per cent rules of origins stipulation for Bangladeshi products, he said it can be taken as a benchmark for other developed countries to help remove barriers for poor nations' exports.
"As Dhaka is hosting the LDCs ministerial meeting, it will be a warm-up before the big negotiations ahead," he said.
The commerce minister said unless such non-tariff barriers are removed, there will be little benefits for LDCs.
WTO countries must reach consensus on burning issues like farm subsidies, anti-dumping, countervailing measures and quick disposal of cases to make the platform a beneficial one, he noted.
Commenting on low-key activities of South Asian Preferential Trade Arrangement (SAPTA), he said implementation of SAPTA must be expedited to open up way for the proposed South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA).
Former commerce minister Tofael Ahmed criticised India for its dillydallying in trade talks with Bangladesh.
"The free access status for categories India have so far offered to Bangladesh is not beneficial for us," he said.
He said if big neighbour like India does not come forward first to liberalise market by offering
concessions to small neighbours, the future of regional trade is bleak.
Giving importance on bilateral trade, he said bilateral trade is taking over multilateral trade where reciprocity comes first.
The former commerce and industries minister said south Asian countries should explore economic co-operation between SAARC and ASEAN to emerge as a major economic bloc which could improve fate of the downtrodden millions of this region.
Tofael urged the current Bangladesh leadership to push India for free access of items which have total value addition.
Denying the allegation that India is indifferent in offering concessions to Bangladeshi products, former Indian high commissioner to Bangladesh Muchkund Dubey said Delhi is considering the list of items Dhaka placed for duty free access and likely to fulfil its plea in phases.
CPD Chairman Prof Rehman Sabhan presided over the dialogue organised by Centre for Policy Dialogue and South Asian Centre for Policy Studies.