Ito Naoki, the Japanese Ambassador in Dhaka, has underlined Japan and Bangladesh need to sign a free trade agreement (FTA) as the majority of companies from both the countries want the same.
The Japanese envoy, reportedly, came up with the observation recently while addressing an event titled ‘DCAB Talk’ at the National Press Club organised by the Diplomatic Correspondent Association of Bangladesh (DCAB).
Ito Naoki further, reportedly, maintained a recent survey conducted by JETRO and Japan Bangladesh Chamber that found 85 percent of the Japanese companies operating in the country (Bangladesh) wanted the signing of a FTA to continue duty-market access even after the graduation of Bangladesh from a least developed country (LDC), even as they maintained bilateral FTA was mandatory as once the GSP was abolished after the LDC graduation, it would be difficult for Bangladesh to differentiate competitiveness with neighbouring India.
