FROM PAGE B1

After a separate meeting with the USTR team yesterday, Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir, the prime minister’s finance and planning adviser, said Bangladesh’s priority is expanding its market share in the US and developing new export categories beyond garments.

He noted Bangladesh wants further consultation meetings with the US on the agreement.

Stating that currently, Bangladeshi garment items are dominating in the US market, he said, “Commercial, health, education and humanitarian issues may also be discussed with the US when the bilateral discussions take place between the two countries.”

Bangladesh also wants expansion of strategic assistance from the US in agricultural cooperation and scientific research, he added.

Earlier on Tuesday, speaking after a meeting with the USTR team, Commerce Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir said the government intends to make full use of the agreement.

“It is a reality, and we want to make the best use of it to expand the country’s trade and investment,” he said.

US goods trade with Bangladesh totalled an estimated $11.8 billion in 2025.

American imports from Bangladesh reached $9.5 billion -- up 13.3 percent from 2024 -- while US exports to Bangladesh were $2.3 billion.

The resulting trade deficit stood at $7.1 billion, a 17.9 percent increase from the previous year. Garments account for 86 percent of Bangladesh’s exports to the US.