ISDS Case Map
Bangladesh
India is for a South Asia Free Trade Area (SAFTA) "plus'' a separate free trade arrangement with Bangladesh that would address the existing trade imbalance between the two countries, Commerce Minister Kamal Nath said on Wednesday.
New Delhi and Dhaka will sign a revised bilateral trade agreement during the three-day visit of Bangladesh Prime Minister Khaleda Zia from tomorrow. The present bilateral trade agreement expires on March 31.
Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Veena Sikri pinned high hope on Prime Minister Khaleda Zia's India visit beginning today in boosting trade between the two South Asian neighbours.
The last meeting of the Indo-Bangladesh Joint Economic Commission discussed the formation of a free trade area (FTA) between the two countries. The FTA offer was made earlier by India. Bangladesh has only scrutinised different aspects of the proposal so far.
Dhaka is likely to provide 522 products of three least developed countries (LDCs) of Bimstec with duty-free access between June 2006 and June 2009. The country may also provide the same products of three other developing countries of the seven-nation bloc with duty-free access from June 2011.
Bangladesh and Pakistan are likely to begin negotiation on bilateral Free Trade Agreement (FTA) during a three-day visit of Pakistan Commerce Minister Humayun Akhtar Khan by the end of this month, sources said.
Dhaka and Islamabad are likely to start negotiation on bilateral free trade agreement (FTA) soon as Pakistan Commerce Minister Humayun Akhtar Khan visits Bangladesh by the end of this month.
The South Asian economies including Bangladesh are becoming more and more regional trade-prone and they are going for bilateral free trade agreements (FTAs) alongside regional arrangements like South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA).
All trade agreements may fumble in delivering results if they take effect prior to completion of all modalities and arrangements, which are to govern and ease trade between the signatory countries. But both the South Asian Preferential Trade Agreement (SAPTA) and its successor agreement on free trade -- South Asian Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA) -- were signed before completing these essential formalities
Bangladesh and Pakistan will soon start formal negotiations on bilateral free trade agreement (FTA) in a bid to sign the deal by next September, Foreign Minister M Morshed Khan said here yesterday.
