In the highly competitive global economy where trade takes place, expanding export is not easy. It requires continuous endeavour, initiative and campaign. This is particularly true if a country belongs to less developed category. For multifarious reasons to achieve competitive advantage in the production of tradable goods becomes difficult, if not impossible. This holds true when a country graduates from low income to lower-middle income status as Bangladesh has done recently. Apart from internal problems of low productivity and higher prices of goods the developing countries face tariff and non-tariff barriers to their exports. In the absence of multi-lateral agreement to lower tariff through bodies like World Trade Organisation (WTO), efforts have to be made on continuous basis to reach bilateral agreement. This requires knowledge, information and negotiation capacity which are often in short supply in the case of developing countries. From the ranks of LDC (least developed country) Bangladesh has gradually emerged as a successfully competitive country in respect of a growing number of goods. These include both conventional and non-conventional items. The success of promoting non-conventional items as exports is particularly worth mentioning. In most cases credit for expansion of exports goes to private exporters. But the back-stop service provided by government agencies like Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) is not negligible. Together, the private and public sectors have steadily steered the country towards an expanding growth path in exports. During the last year export value reached US$ 30 billion. The figure is expected to reach $50 in the next five years. When this happens Bangladesh will become a middle-income country by 2021 and may attain the status of emerging country by 2041. In the Sixth Five-Year Plan strategies have been outlined and policies indicated to expand the scope of exports during the plan period. Trade missions are being sent to four corners of the world to explore export possibilities and to increase the existing volume. Bangladesh is participating in trade fairs abroad displaying Bangladesh-made goods and disseminating information. Trade delegations from different countries are also visiting Bangladesh in increasing number. Regular contacts have been made with trade promotion agencies of different countries. Memorandums of understanding have been signed with counterparts of many countries. Bangladesh has become a member of the Asian Trade Promotion Forum in line with this strategy to intensify campaign. According to sources in EPB, vigorous efforts have been made to explore market outside traditional trading partners like America and Europe. Particular attention has been given to west and north Africa and Latin America. Several trade missions have visited these countries in recent times. It has been found that prospects for exporting traditional and non-traditional items to these new destinations are very bright. Among the non-traditional items two new items have been exported to several countries. The items include small fish, fried bread and printing and packaging. It is estimated that fried bread sold to Bangladeshi restaurants can alone fetch US$ 400 million. The potential of exporting other items to the Bangladeshi diaspora is great and almost unlimited. So long this market was captured by Indian and Pakistani exporters. If Bangladesh can enjoy duty-free and quota-free facilities in developed countries exports there will increase exponentially. At present Bangladesh is enjoying duty-free and quota-free facility in 12 countries. The names of some of these countries and the number of items enjoying the facilities are as follows: Australia (6000 items), Canada (8309 items), Japan (8871 items), Switzerland (7133 items), USA (8620 items), China (4788 items), South Korea (8778 items) and Taiwan (8728 items). India is giving duty-free and quota-free facility to 25 items. In Pakistan goods outside the sensitive list enjoy 5.0 per cent reduction in duties. Sri Lanka also extends the same facility to Bangladeshi goods outside the sensitive list. Of course, not all the items come within the purview of exports actually made. Recently two high-powered committees have been constituted by the ministry of commerce to promote exports. The first committee with 16 members is headed by secretary commerce. All the ministries and authorities concerned with exports, including the Bangladesh Bank, have representatives in this committee. The second committee, headed by vice-chairman EPB, has representatives from all trade and commerce associations in the country. Exports from Bangladesh face several problems. Duty-free and quota-free facilities are yet to be granted by quite a few countries. The government has to be persistent in negotiating with these countries to get the restrictions waived. Where necessary and feasible, bilateral trade agreement should be made as is being done by other countries. In countries where tariff barrier is not a problem and duty-free and quota-free facilities are available non-tariff barriers create obstacles. In this context, India can be mentioned whose policy on exports from Bangladesh is not fully matched by practice on the ground. It seems whatever facilities have been given by India in respect of exports have been negated by non-tariff restrictions. If the Bali agreement on trade facilitation could be signed, Bangladesh, along with other countries, would have the opportunity of expanding export within a short time. Trade facilitation can give the same, if not more, benefits than lowering of tariffs. Bangladesh as a LDC (this status continues) should vigorously campaign for signing of the trade facilitation agreement. The withdrawal of Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) facility by America has hurt Bangladesh exports. Efforts should be intensified for restoration of GSP through compliance of conditions. Instead of increasing the number of committees for promotion of exports, EPB should be strengthened and given the role of co-coordinating among concerned parties. Proliferation of committees may only waste time and energy. This may also weaken existing institutions. For these reasons, in all export matters EPB should be the focal point.
