Business Plus / EU’s GSP+: The lifeline Bangladesh must win before 2029
In four years, that duty-free facility will cease to exist
5 December 2025, 18:00 PM
RMG exporters eye strong rebound next year
Christmas shipment, however, faces a slowdown
30 November 2025, 18:00 PM
Govt sees early signs of economic recovery
Report to UN claims stabilisation and improving indicators, but economists highlight inflation, unemployment, weak investment and mounting debt concerns
24 November 2025, 19:37 PM
Bangladesh on track for LDC graduation
Bangladesh is projected to lose around $8 billion in exports after graduation
23 November 2025, 18:41 PM
EPA with Japan expected next month
Bangladesh expects to sign the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with Japan by the end of next month, as negotiations between the two countries have already been completed, Commerce Secretary Mahbubur Rahman told The Daily Star yesterday.
22 November 2025, 19:04 PM
Amended labour law: Unions applaud, factory owners push back
The union leaders welcomed the amended labour law, but factory owners rejected some of the clauses as their demands went unaddressed.
18 November 2025, 18:18 PM
Leadership vacuum at FBCCI weakens its policy role
The country’s apex trade body, the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI), is struggling to assist the government in policy-making and serve the business community due to a leadership crisis caused by the absence of elections, according to business leaders.
18 November 2025, 18:00 PM
Garment exports to US rise 5% in July-October
Garment exports to the USA, the country’s largest single export destination, increased by 5.14 percent to $2.59 billion during July-October, despite facing a 20 percent reciprocal tariff imposed by the US under President Donald Trump’s administration..The USA accounted for 19.92 percent of
16 November 2025, 16:10 PM
Buyers shift to Delhi airport as higher expenses make Dhaka unattractive
The tariff at the largest airport in Bangladesh is so high that buyers stay competitive even when their goods travel a distance of nearly 1,900 kilometres in trucks from the country to Delhi via Benapole and Petrapole.
31 May 2024, 00:08 AM
Bangladesh, Japan begin formal talks to sign trade deal
Three rounds of meetings of the joint study group were held last year to pave the way for last week’s formal launch of the negotiation.
28 May 2024, 00:45 AM
Shipping cost keeps upward trend as Red Sea Crisis lingers
Shafiur Rahman, regional operations manager of G-Star in Bangladesh, needs to send 6,146 pieces of denim trousers weighing 4,404 kilogrammes from a Gazipur-based garment factory to Amsterdam of the Netherlands.
22 May 2024, 15:57 PM
Local digital marketplace for garments to boost exports
Tech giants like Amazon and Alibaba are generating millions of dollars in revenue from Bangladesh selling garments made locally in the absence of a homegrown digital marketplace capable of engaging in international trade.
20 May 2024, 18:07 PM
Achieving $110b export target by FY27 is difficult
The government’s target of earning $110 billion from exports by the fiscal year of 2026-27 would be difficult to attain because of the persisting challenges in the global and local economies, economists and businesspeople said.
20 May 2024, 01:30 AM
Cash subsidy for exports surges. Only garment yields expected results
The government’s cash incentive against export receipts has soared over the years although many sectors could not make their mark in the global market, bringing in limited results for the government’s diversification initiative.
17 May 2024, 00:00 AM
Alternatives to cash incentives planned for exports
The government plans a new export promotion fund as an alternative to direct cash incentives for export-oriented sectors to help the country face challenges resulting from its graduation to a developing nation in 2026.
15 May 2024, 18:00 PM
Exporters cheer weaker taka
Owing to a chaotic and volatile exchange rate, local exporters were desperate for the introduction of a floating exchange rate so they could draw more money and be more competitive.
9 May 2024, 03:40 AM
Exporters to win, consumers to bear the brunt
The exporters have already welcomed the central bank's move to devaluate the local currency, which they have long been waiting for.
8 May 2024, 16:51 PM
Global companies upbeat about Bangladesh's denim
A European retailer asking not to be named said he has already increased the amount of clothes his company sources from Bangladesh as the country’s increasing production capacity was helping to give them more confidence.
7 May 2024, 00:16 AM
Garment exports to US continue to decline
In the January-March period of the current year, garment shipments to American markets declined by 17.68 percent to $1.75 billion, according to data from the Office of Textiles and Apparel (OTEXA), a body under the American Commerce Department.
5 May 2024, 00:00 AM
USTR identifies Bangladesh among top-five counterfeit product suppliers
China (together with Hong Kong) continues to be the largest origin economy for counterfeit and pirated goods, accounting for more than 85 percent of global seizures of counterfeit goods from 2017 to 2019.
26 April 2024, 00:54 AM
Heatwave leaves no impact on RMG production
So far, any loss of productivity or major casualty has been averted while no incident related to the thin presence of workers or missing shipment deadlines has been recorded.
26 April 2024, 00:54 AM
EU's new supply chain law to improve labour conditions in Bangladesh
The Parliament’s vote came on the 11th anniversary of the tragic collapse of the Rana Plaza building, which killed 1,138 garment workers and injured more than 2,000 others.
25 April 2024, 00:01 AM
Trade unions surge, but workers' rights still unprotected
Although there has been a fivefold increase in number of unions in 11 years since the country's deadliest industrial incident, most are failing to live up to expectations
24 April 2024, 01:30 AM
Levi's now in Dhaka
The 2,270 square feet store on Banani Road 11 opened on April 1, aiming to draw the rising middle-income population with an assortment of imported denim jeans, t-shirts, polo shirts, and formal and casual woven shirts for men and women.
19 April 2024, 00:54 AM
US trade bodies oppose tariff hike idea for garments from Bangladesh
Bangladeshi apparel exporters are facing one of the highest tariffs at 15.62 percent in the US, which imported more than $116 billion worth of garment items last year. Bangladesh's share stands at 9.3 percent.
18 April 2024, 00:29 AM
US trade body reiterates support for GSP revival
The American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) has expressed support for revival of the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) to reduce costs faced by US citizens.
17 April 2024, 18:00 PM
Garment exports face fresh trouble as Iran-Israel conflict stokes fears
Buyers are already asking suppliers to execute orders as soon as possible because the time to transport goods has been extended by an additional 15 days following the outbreak of the Red Sea crisis in October.
16 April 2024, 03:36 AM
Garment exports to US show signs of recovery
Garment export to the United States, Bangladesh’s single largest market, is showing signs of a rebound on the back of a revival of the world’s largest economy, consumers opening up their wallets, and falling inflation.
6 April 2024, 18:02 PM