Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed exchanges views with his Thai counterpart Apiradi Tantraporna at a bilateral meeting in Bangkok on Monday. Thailand would consider allowing more favorable tariff structure for Bangladeshi products in its market in the future in order to boost bilateral trade. Apiradi Tantraporn, Commerce Minister of Thailand made the assurance during a meeting with Tofail Ahmed, Commerce Minister of Bangladesh, at a bilateral meeting in Bangkok on Monday. The ministers of the two countries had a discussion on the sideline of the 12th Conference of the Asia Pacific Business Forum of Economic and Social Commssion for Asia and Pacific (ESCAP) of the United Nations (UN). Thailand recently made an announcement of Duty-Free, Quota-Free (DFQF) access of 6998 products for LDCs, including Bangladesh, Apiradi Tantraporn said at the meeting. The fourth meeting of Joint Trade Committee (JTC) of Bangladesh and Thailand will be held in Dhaka early 2016, it was decided at the meeting, according to a message received here on Monday. During the meeting, Tofail, now on a three-day visit to Thailand, said, “As a close regional trading partner, Bangladesh looks towards more trade concessions from Thailand in realising Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Vision 2021.” “Thailand considers Bangladesh an important trading partner from South Asia,” said the Thai commerce minister. She proposed to renew the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) regarding Import of Rice from Thailand on G2G basis during the upcoming JTC meeting. She also indicated that a large private delegation would accompany her during her visit to Dhaka for the JTC. The two ministers agreed to hold the fourth meeting of the Joint Trade Committee (JTC) in Dhaka in early 2016 during which the entire gamut of bilateral trade relations is expected to be reviewed. They also agreed that it is important to hold trade fairs and exhibitions of goods and services in each other’s capital to promote bilateral business and trade. The ministers also decided that Bangladesh will hold the first-ever single country trade fair and business summit in Bangkok in the first quarter of 2016. Bangladesh Ambassador to Thailand Saida MunaTasneem was present during the meeting. The commerce ministers expected to talk at the ministerial panel discussion at the Asia Pacific Business Forum (APBF) being held at UNESCAP today (Tuesday). A business delegation, led by President of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) of Bangladesh, is accompanying the commerce minister of Bangladesh.
