Govt urged to start lobbying for free market access to US

Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) President Anwar-Ul-Alam Chowdhury Parvez speaks at a press conference in Dhaka yesterday.Photo: STAR

Garment manufacturers yesterday asked the government to lobby US congressmen to pass 'The New Partnership for Development Act 2007', a bill that will ensure duty- and quota-free access for Bangladeshi apparel to the US market.
“If the bill is passed, our exports to the US market would be doubled within a couple of years,” Anwar-Ul-Alam Chowdhury Parvez, president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), said at a press conference in Dhaka.
Congressman Jim McDermott introduced the bill in the House of Representatives on October 18. The process of passing the bill will start in January next year.
A BGMEA team led by Parvez recently visited the US to meet several influential congressmen, trade and association leaders and embassy officials to discuss this issue.
“It is not possible for us to continue lobbying all the 240 congressmen. The government should shoulder this responsibility from here until the New Partnership for Development Act (NPDA) is passed,” the BGMEA president said.
“So far we have met only six congressmen and it is impossible for us to reach out to all of them,” he said, seeking immediate steps from the government in this regard.
He also urged Bangladeshi missions abroad to work more effectively to uphold the country's image, especially by raising awareness about the positive sides and achievements of the garment sector.
Talking about the results of the meetings, he said labour issues would be the most vital factor. “They wanted to know whether we are following the International Labour Organisation (ILO) standard and if the situation is getting any better than before,” he said.
Even if the bill is passed, Bangladeshi garment exporters will have to receive ILO certificates, Parvez said. Beneficiary countries will also have to show that 35 percent of the value of the products was created in their countries, he added.
Parvez said five Sub-Saharan African countries are opposing the proposed bill fearing a decrease in their market share in the US.
“But the reality is that even if we don't get such facility, these countries would lose their market share to China and Vietnam when safeguard measures are lifted in 2009,” he said.
Once the NPDA is passed, beneficiary countries will enjoy the generalised system of preferences (GSP) facility.