Bangladesh will receive duty-free market access for 99.9% of its products in Japan under a newly signed Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), marking a major breakthrough in bilateral trade relations.
Commerce Adviser Sheikh Bashir Uddin said that out of 7,389 tariff lines, almost all Bangladeshi products will be exported to Japan at zero duty, significantly boosting export earnings ahead of Bangladesh’s graduation from LDC status.
In return, Bangladesh has granted duty-free access to 1,070 Japanese products, with minimal revenue impact—estimated at less than Tk 20 crore annually. The agreement also includes transition periods of up to 18 years to protect local industries.
Beyond trade in goods, the EPA covers services and investment, opening 120 Japanese sectors to Bangladesh and 92 Bangladeshi sectors to Japan. The deal is expected to expand job opportunities for Bangladeshi professionals, especially in healthcare, engineering, and industrial sectors.
The EPA was signed in Tokyo, making it Bangladesh’s first-ever economic partnership agreement with any country.
