Bangladesh and Japan today concluded negotiations on the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), agreeing to provide duty-free access to a large number of products from both countries.
Japan will grant zero-duty entry to 7,379 products, including ready-made garments, from Bangladesh upon the conclusion and signing of the EPA. Bangladesh will provide duty-free access to 1,039 products from Japan, according to a press statement.
The interim government made the announcement after Commerce Adviser Sk Bashir Uddin declared the conclusion of negotiations on the Bangladesh-Japan EPA following a telephonic conversation with Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu.
The deal also covers services, with Bangladesh opening 97 sub-sectors and Japan 120, paving the way for investment and technology transfer.
The process began with the formation of a Joint Study Group, which published its report on December 27, 2023, recommending a comprehensive approach covering 17 sectors, according to a press release.
Formal negotiations commenced on March 12, 2024, under the Agreed Work Plan, with the first round held in Dhaka in May 2024. Talks were temporarily paused but resumed in November 2024 under an accelerated schedule set by the interim government.
Subsequent rounds were held in Dhaka and Tokyo between November 2024 and September 2025. The seventh and final round in Tokyo brought the discussions to a close, with the EPA text finalised in line with the original plan.