US Tariff Reduction to 20% is Satisfactory: Amir Khosru

Dhaka, August 1, 2025: Former Commerce Minister and BNP Standing Committee member Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury has described the reduction of the US countervailing duty on Bangladeshi products from 35% to 20% as “satisfactory.” Speaking to journalists at his Gulshan residence on Friday afternoon, he said, “This is not about victory or defeat. The tariff set allows us to remain in a relatively competitive and satisfactory position. We are at 20%, Pakistan at 19%, Vietnam at 20%, and India at 25%.”

Amir Khosru noted that the new tariff rate positions Bangladesh competitively in global trade. “Given the circumstances, I believe the tariff figure is satisfactory for competition. It’s fine compared to our competitors,” he added.

However, he expressed caution about the broader implications, stating, “We don’t know the full details of the negotiations. We only know about the tariff rate. Without understanding what concessions were made in return, we cannot assess the overall impact.” He explained that the revised tariff is part of a larger restructuring of US countervailing duties affecting multiple trading partners. For instance, Sri Lanka’s tariff was reduced from 30% to 20%, and Pakistan’s from 29% to 19%. Other competitors like Vietnam and India face tariffs of 20% and 25%, respectively. Responding to a question about whether the tariff reduction has alleviated uncertainty for Bangladeshi businesses, Amir Khosru said, “For now, the 20% tariff will not disrupt our export market. At this moment, it’s a satisfactory decision. But we don’t know the related aspects. We can comment further once those details are clear.”

When asked if the Commerce Secretary’s recent mention of purchasing 25 Boeing aircraft from the US was linked to the tariff reduction, he replied, “Something has to be done. The US imposes these tariffs to protect its own export interests. But how much Bangladesh can absorb, how much our economy and businesses can handle—these were part of the discussions. We can comment once we know the details.”

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