Measures soon after talks with US, no cause for panic, says Khalilur

Chief Advisor's top aide Khalilur Rahman has brushed aside fears over fresh tariffs imposed on Bangladeshi goods by the United States, saying the interim government was "prepared" for it.

“It’s not a sudden thing and we had preparations,” he said, promising prompt measures and talks with the US on the matter.

He came up with the statements after an emergency meeting with Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus at the State Guest House Jamuna amid the traders’ concerns over the imposition of a 37 percent supplementary duty by the US on Bangladeshi exports.

Briefing journalists outside the Jamuna after a two-hour meeting that began at 7pm on Saturday, Khalilur said: "The imposition of tariffs by the United States is not a coincidence for us.

"At the beginning of February, the chief advisor asked us to connect with the United States, so I had discussions with the US State Department, the US Trade Representative Department of Agriculture, and others in Washington, DC in the second week of February.

"Since then, we have been in constant dialogue with the US administration. So it's not a coincidence, we are ready for it.”

Advising all not to panic, he said, "We will take action soon following discussion with the US administration.”

Present at the meeting with the chief advisor were Commerce Advisor Sheikh Bashir Uddin, Finance Advisor Salehuddin Ahmed, Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Advisor Fouzul Kabir Khan, Foreign Affairs Advisor Touhid Hossain, Khalilur, Chief Advisor’s Special Envoy Lutfey Siddiqi, Principal Secretary Siraj Uddin Mia, Principal Coordinator for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the CAO Lamia Morshed, Bangladesh Bank Governor Ahsan H Mansur, NBR Chairman Abdur Rahman Khan, BIDA Executive Chairman Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun, Finance Secretary Khairuzzaman Mozumder, and Policy Research Institute (PRI) Chairman Zaidi Sattar.

Earlier this week, US President Donald Trump announced a new set of supplementary tariffs on imports from more than 100 countries. As a result, Bangladeshi exports to the US will now face a 37 percent supplementary tariff.

Previously, the average tariff on Bangladeshi goods in the US stood at 15 percent.

With the new imposition, the total tariff on Bangladesh’s exports to the US will rise to 52 percent.

The US is Bangladesh’s largest export market for ready-made garments. In 2024, Bangladesh exported around $8.4 billion worth of goods to the US, including $7.34 billion in garments alone.

Industry leaders are warning that the new tariffs could severely impact Bangladesh’s garment sector, a cornerstone of the country’s economy.

Yunus, however, has expressed optimism that a positive outcome to the ongoing tariff dispute with the United States could be reached through discussions.