Staff Correspondent:

In a move to reduce the trade deficit, Bangladesh is set to purchase 25 Boeing aircraft from the United States.

Commerce Secretary Mahbubur Rahman shared the information while speaking to journalists at his office in the Secretariat on Sunday (July 27).

“The Boeing business is not handled by the US government—it is managed by the Boeing company. We have placed an order for 25 Boeing aircraft. Similarly, India and Vietnam are purchasing 100, while Indonesia is buying 50 aircraft,” the secretary said.

He noted that Bangladesh had previously ordered 14 aircraft, but the order has now been increased to 25 to further address the tariff deficit.

According to the secretary, the aircraft will be delivered based on the company’s production capacity, and the full delivery may take one to two years.

Meanwhile, the United States Trade Representative (USTR), the chief US trade negotiation body, has scheduled the third and final round of tariff talks with Bangladesh for July 29 and 30, Rahman confirmed.

“On July 23, we submitted our position paper. The final meeting will be held at the USTR office in Washington on July 29–30. Trade Adviser Sheikh Bashir Uddin, Chief Adviser’s Representative Khalilur Rahman, and I will attend,” he said.

“Our key issues from the position paper will be discussed in detail during the meeting. Our delegation will depart for the US on Monday evening,” he added.

On the issue of soybean and cotton imports, the secretary said initiatives are underway. “Private importers are trying to source soybeans directly from US exporters. While we meet with the USTR, they will also hold meetings with US soybean suppliers. We hope to reach a mutual understanding.”

He further noted that the matter of cotton imports has already been finalised. “Three years ago, we used to import cotton worth $1.8 billion annually. That amount has since declined. If we can restore it to previous levels, we could reduce the trade deficit by around $1 billion,” he said.