Electronic Goods Export
Dhaka to request Delhi to open up more land ports
The government is going to request India during the Indian foreign minister’s visit to Dhaka in mid-February to allow export of electronic products from Bangladesh through more land ports and customs stations, officials said. India earlier imposed a restriction on export of electronics goods and motorcycles from Bangladesh through all the land ports and LC stations, except Petrapole land port.
Potential exporters of Bangladesh are unable to enter into the Indian market because of the restriction as the demand for the products particularly for motorcycle, refrigerator, air-conditioner and television set has come mostly from the north-eastern states of India, officials and industry insiders said.
In this context, the government is going to make the request to allow export of electronics goods from Bangladesh through land ports and LC stations particularly through those which are situated along the border of north-eastern states of India.
The issue will be raised at the Joint Consultative Commission meeting between the foreign ministers of the two countries, Dipu Moni and Salman Khurshid, to be held in February 16-17 in Dhaka, officials said.
Foreign secretary Shahidul Haque and his Indian counterpart Ranjan Mathai will finalise the agenda of the JCC meeting at the two-day Indo-Bangla Foreign Office Consultations to be held in February 9-10 in Dhaka, they said.
Bangladesh has already finalised its agenda including trade related issues to be raised at the meeting, they added.
Walton Hi-Tech Industries Limited and Runner Group, two leading electronic products and motorcycle manufacturers in Bangladesh, are eyeing to export electronic products and motorcycles in the Indian market.
‘Walton is trying to export its products particularly motorcycle, refrigerator and television set in India as it has got tremendous response from the consumers of the neighbouring country,’ Lokman
Hossain Akash, head of international marketing of Walton Hi-Tech Industries Limited, told New Age on Thursday.
Walton has already received export orders worth $100 million at the International Guwahati Trade Fair-2012 held at Assam in India but the company has failed to start export as India is not allowing the export of electronic products and automobiles through any other land ports or LC stations expert Petrapole, he said.
Walton got orders mostly for motorcycle, refrigerator, air conditioner and television set, he added.
He said that most of the demand the company got had come from the seven north-eastern states of India.
‘So exporting through Petrapole will not be profitable as it will cause at least 20 per cent additional costs.’
India is also creating some other non-tariff barriers, he added.
Hafizur Rahman Khan, chairman of Runner Group, said that they were also trying to export motorcycles to India.
‘Currently, we are displaying our motorcycles at the Shiliguri International Trade Fair in India and we hope that we will get export order as consumers are asking various information about our product,’ he said.
Courtesy of New Age
