More to be done for GSP restoration: US
The TICFA talks have provided an important venue for our two countries to explore ways to expand the scope of our growing trade and investment relationship
DIPLOMATIC CORRESPONDENT
There is more to be done by Bangladesh to get the GSP (Generalised System of Preferences), which was suspended by the United States in June, 2013, restored, according to a US official.
The Bangladeshi and US representatives continued fruitful exchanges on fulfilling the conditions needed to bring about GSP restoration, Nancy VanHorn, spokesperson of the US Embassy in Dhaka, told The Independent in an email communiqu on Tuesday.
Referring to the second meeting under the Trade and Investment Cooperation Forum Agreement (TICFA) held in Washington on Monday, the spokesperson was asked if the US believed that Bangladesh did enough to get back the GSP trade benefits for its products.
About the meeting, VanHorn said, The TICFA talks have provided an important venue for our two countries to explore ways to expand the scope of our growing trade and investment relationship.
Discussions focused on expanded exports in sectors like pharmaceuticals and IT; Bangladeshi and US firms cooperating on infrastructure expansion in the country; and broadened people-to-people interaction that encompasses providing and supporting the skills and talent to feed Bangladeshs economic growth, she said.
A press release issued by the Bangladesh Embassy in Washington after the meeting said that the Bangladesh side updated its US counterpart about the progress it made on Sustainability Compact and GSP Action Plan provided by Washington after the suspension.
And, it said that the US side appreciated the progress made by Bangladesh so far.
