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us wants labour, green issues in TIFA

Bangladesh seeks technology transfer and technical cooperation as talks begin today

NAZMUL AHSAN
Dhaka and Washington will sit today to talk the crucial Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA).
The US wants to incorporate issues like protection and enforcement of workers' rights, environmental issues and intellectual property rights into TIFA. But Bangladesh takes a different view on these matters.
Commerce Secretary Suhel Ahmad and visiting Assistant United States Trade Representative Ashley Wills will lead their sides to the talks.
Officials from the foreign ministry
and the US Embassy in Dhaka will also attend the meeting.
In its draft TIFA, the US reiterated the commitments of the Doha Declaration, recognising the importance of providing adequate and effective protection and enforcement of workers' rights in accordance with each nation's own labour laws and of improving the observance of internationally recognised core labour standards.
Bangladesh rephrased the US clause in its own draft and reiterated the commitments in the Doha Declaration. It says Dhaka is determined to strengthen the rule-based
system of the WTO and make the WTO more development-oriented.
The US draft also proposes establishing a US-Bangladesh Council on Trade and Investment. Bangladesh has already endorsed the idea.
Elaborating the objective of the proposed council under TIFA, the US draft said it would monitor trade and investment relations, identify business opportunities and issues such as intellectual property rights, labour rights or environmental concerns.
Bangladesh in its draft elimi-
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nated the intellectual property rights, labour or environmental issues from the same clause.
Rather, it highlighted issues of transfer of technology and technical cooperation.
The council to meet once a year would resolve trade and investment problems.
The US has proposed promotion of investment climate and expansion of trade in services. While agreeing on them, Bangladesh has included trade in goods in its own draft.
Both countries have agreed to uphold the spirit of the WTO, create jobs, enhance economic development, eliminate non-tariff barriers and adopt mutually supportive trade and environment policies.
Other areas of consensus are reinforcing multilateral trading system, completion of Doha development agenda, establishing a bilateral mechanism for liberalisation of trade and investment and promotion of international trade and economic interrelationship.
Bangladesh proposes a joint working group to facilitate the proposed council.