US reimposes 10pc tariff on Bangladesh under forced labor trade measure

Dhaka: The United States has imposed a fresh 10 percent tariff on imports from Bangladesh under a new trade enforcement measure targeting countries deemed to have insufficient safeguards against goods produced with forced labor.

The tariff took effect on July 24 following a decision by the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR), replacing the temporary 10 percent duty that expired a day earlier. Although introduced under a different legal framework, the new measure keeps the overall tariff on Bangladeshi garment exports to the US unchanged at 25.62 percent.

The latest duty follows a USTR investigation launched in March under Section 301(b) of the US Trade Act of 1974, which reviewed around 60 countries over their efforts to prevent the import of products linked to forced labor.

Bangladesh has been placed in the lower 10 percent tariff category alongside 17 other countries, including India, Pakistan, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Canada and the United Kingdom. Major apparel-exporting competitors such as China, Vietnam and Thailand have been assigned a higher 12.5 percent tariff.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Bangladesh's placement in the lower tariff tier preserves its competitive position in the US market. It also noted that Washington is considering a three-year tariff-rate quota that would exempt products made with US cotton and textile inputs from the Section 301 duties, potentially providing an additional advantage for Bangladeshi exporters.

Commerce Minister Khandaker Abdul Muktadir said the latest measure would not create any new burden for exporters, as the tariff rate remains unchanged despite being introduced under a different legal basis.

Industry leaders also downplayed the immediate impact. Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) Director Faisal Samad said exporters were already operating under the same effective tariff rate.

The US is Bangladesh's largest single-country export destination. In fiscal year 2025-26, Bangladesh exported goods worth USD 9.04 billion to the US, including USD 7.74 billion worth of garments, according to Export Promotion Bureau data. Approximately one-fifth of Bangladesh's apparel exports are shipped to the American market.