A new trade storm is gathering in Washington, and Bangladesh is directly in its path.

The United States’ recent decision to launch two separate investigations under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974—one concerning global industrial overcapacity and another focusing on forced labour—signals a sharper turn in Washington’s trade policy.

Bangladesh should immediately cancel the recently signed trade deal with the US because the terms and conditions of the agreement hardly protect the interests of the country, said noted economist Anu Muhammad yesterday.

The US has launched a fresh trade investigation into Bangladesh and more than a dozen other economies to examine whether their policies and production practices are contributing to global overcapacity that could harm American manufacturing.

The reciprocal trade agreement between the US and Bangladesh is “highly discriminatory” and must be revoked, said the Centre for Policy Dialogue yesterday.

Digital trade rules embedded in Bangladesh’s new agreement with the US may deprive Bangladesh of tax revenues and also limit the expansion of digital economy, say experts.

The government will hold talks with the United States Trade Representative (USTR) this week to determine whether the recently signed bilateral trade deal remains valid after America’s Supreme Court struck down a large swathe of President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Friday.

Time is the most valuable currency in global trade. Wise governments spend it carefully. On February 9, however, Bangladesh’s interim administration spent it recklessly.

Industry leaders say reciprocal trade agreement may lose footing after top US court decision unsettles tariff regime

Following the court’s decision, the US President announced a 10 percent additional tariff on all countries

For Bangladesh’s garment sector - highly dependent on the US market -predictability is almost as important as the tariff rate itself

The reciprocal trade deal signed by the interim government with the United States has raised questions regarding the economic sovereignty of Bangladesh, especially in decisions on trade, energy and security.

The interim government has disclosed parts of the recently signed trade agreement with the United States, under which the reciprocal tariff on Bangladeshi goods was reduced from 20 percent to 19 percent after nine months of negotiation.

Bangladesh’s recently signed trade deal with the United States promises slight tariff relief but carries deeper implications for fiscal stability, foreign policy and democratic transparency, according to Fahmida Khatun, executive director of the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD).

Bangladesh secures a marginal US tariff cut to 19%, but commits to billions of dollars in purchases

The deal also includes $3.5b worth of agricultural items, Boeing jets from Washington

Under the agreement, the tariff rate on Bangladeshi products may fall to 18 percent from the current 20 percent