ISDS Case Map
Bangladesh
During a high-level official visit to Dhaka, Bangladesh and Türkiye are moving to elevate their relationship through advanced free-trade discussions and targeted non-traditional export expansion.
Bangladesh and Morocco have agreed to deepen bilateral ties by expanding cooperation across trade, investment, agriculture, and skills development, while exploring a potential Free Trade Agreement. Key initiatives include establishing a reliable Moroccan phosphate supply chain for Bangladesh's food security and a planned Moroccan business delegation visit by the end of 2026.
When the Trump administration imposed so-called "reciprocal," country-specific tariff rates in April 2025, it made clear that the measures were intended not only to protect US industry but also as negotiating leverage to extract bilateral concessions.
Both countries also showed interest in exploring the possibility of signing a trade deal, such as a free trade agreement, to boost investment and bilateral trade, according to a statement from the commerce ministry.
The modern US trade, defense, and energy agreements with Bangladesh mirror the exploitative economic structures of nineteenth-century British colonial rule in India. By conditioning market access on the mandatory purchase of American cotton, military hardware, aircraft, and LNG, these deals subtly compromise Bangladesh's policy independence.
Commerce Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir said Bangladesh is moving forward with discussions to sign a Free Trade Agreement with South Korea to boost exports and strengthen bilateral trade ties.
The US Supreme Court’s decision did not end U.S. trade pressure—it merely reshaped it. What was once a patchwork of negotiated exclusivity has been replaced by a universal, unrelenting tariff regime. Asian nations now face a new reality: no deal is safe, no concession is final, and strategic certainty remains out of reach. The US isn’t just reducing tariffs—it’s reengineering Asia’s economic integration into a strategic tool.
Bangladesh’s apparel exporters are facing fresh concern after the European Union and India reached a free trade agreement, a development industry leaders say could intensify competition in Bangladesh’s largest garment export market.
The US - Bangladesh agreement risks locking Bangladesh into costly LNG dependency, potentially undermining its renewable energy goals and energy security, especially given current renewables capacity of just 1,743 MW—mostly reliant on Chinese solar tech.
The signing of the Bangladesh-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) at the end of the interim government’s tenure has sparked much debate, with concerns that this agreement could put the country’s sovereignty, agriculture and food systems, traditional knowledge, economy, and intellectual property rights at risk.
