Bangladesh, South Korea sign CEPA to boost trade

Bangladesh and South Korea today signed the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) in Dhaka to boost bilateral trade and investment.

Under the deal, 97 percent of Bangladesh's goods will get preferential market access to South Korea, while 87 percent of Korean goods will get similar access to Bangladesh.

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Commerce Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir and South Korean Trade Minister Han-Koo Yeo announced the signing at a press conference at the Commerce Ministry in Dhaka.

Replying to queries from journalists, the ministers said the agreement would pave the way for increased trade and investment between the two countries.

Bangladesh exported goods worth $421 million to South Korea in FY2025-26, down by 9 percent year-on-year, according to data from the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB).

Bangladesh imported goods worth $614 million from South Korea during the July-December period of the last fiscal year, according to available data.

Imports reached $1.2 billion in FY2024-25, up 33 percent from $903 million in FY2023-24, according to Bangladesh Bank.

The deal follows the former interim government's EPA with Japan in Tokyo in February this year as part of its efforts to retain the country's competitiveness after its graduation from the Least Developed Country category.