About the report
This report provides insights on the regulatory and procedural obstacles to trade faced by Bangladeshi companies based on the results of the NTM business survey in Bangladesh. It puts forward a set of recommendations to alleviate companies’ difficulties with NTMs.
Over 90% of surveyed Bangladeshi exporters are facing regulatory and procedural obstacles to trade.
A survey of 1,000 companies in Bangladesh identified long waiting times, administrative hurdles and lack of accredited laboratories in the country to be the main causes of the reported difficulties when exporting or importing.
The report recommends upgrading domestic infrastructure and streamlining procedures, enhancing enterprise competitiveness and sector development, and improving transparency in trade and trade facilitation.
Background
ITC in collaboration with the Ministry of Commerce of Bangladesh implemented a large-scale survey of Bangladeshi companies to identify the non-tariff measures and procedural obstacles hindering their exports.
The survey of 1,000 enterprises seeks to shed light on trade barriers faced by Bangladeshi firms and to identify potential bottlenecks inhibiting trade. This information will allow the public and private sectors to better understand the current business environment and to identify concrete actions to promote the development of Bangladeshi firms and the competitiveness of exports.
ITC and the Ministry of Commerce jointly organized stakeholder meetings in 2016 to present the survey results and initiate discussion on necessary actions to alleviate the problems due to NTMs.
Preliminary results of the survey was presented to representatives of the Ministry of Commerce, other public agencies and representatives from the Bangladeshi business community in Dhaka. The purpose of the meeting was to validate the results of the survey and to discuss ways to overcome trade impediments faced by exporters and importers in Bangladesh.
Recommendations presented in this report are based on consultations with relevant stakeholders and experts.