Muhammad Yunus Praises Bangladesh's Trade Deal With US, Compares It To India

The Chief Adviser of the Interim Government of Bangladesh, Muhammad Yunus has congratulated Bangladesh's tariff negotiators following a trade deal with the United States. Yunus also referred to the stalemate over trade.

"We proudly congratulate the Bangladesh tariff negotiators on securing a landmark trade deal with the United States, a decisive diplomatic victory," he said in a message, issued by his press wing, after describing the agreement as successful tariff negotiations with the US.

Chief Adviser's message after successful tarriff negotiations with US

Dhaka, August 1, 2025: We proudly congratulate the Bangladesh tariff negotiators on securing a landmark trade deal with the United States, a decisive diplomatic victory.
By reducing the tariff to 20%, 17…

— Chief Adviser of the Government of Bangladesh (@ChiefAdviserGoB) August 1, 2025

"Bangladesh secured a 20% tariff rate-comparable to its key apparel-sector competitors such as Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Pakistan, and Indonesia, which received rates between 19% and 20%. As a result, Bangladesh's relative competitiveness in apparel exports remains unaffected," Yunus said in a statement posted on social media platform X.

"By contrast, India received a 25% tariff after failing to reach a comprehensive agreement with the US," Yunus added.

PRESS STATEMENT

WASHINGTON DC, August 1: President Donald Trump today announced new tariff rates—up to 41%—on imports from 70 countries, just ahead of the August 1 deadline for finalizing bilateral trade agreements.

These agreements extend beyond tariff adjustments to include…

— Chief Adviser of the Government of Bangladesh (@ChiefAdviserGoB) August 1, 2025

"This achievement not only underscores Bangladesh's rising strength on the global stage but also opens the door to greater opportunities, accelerated growth, and lasting prosperity. The future of Bangladesh is undeniably bright. Today's success stands as a powerful testament to the nation's resilience and its bold vision for a stronger economy tomorrow," Yunus said in a congratulatory post for Bangladesh's negotiation team.

Trump's tariff order said that some trading partners, "despite having engaged in negotiations, have offered terms that, in my judgment, do not sufficiently address imbalances in our trading relationship or have failed to align sufficiently with the United States on economic and national-security matters."

"Look, global trade - India is an ally. It's a strategic partner. Like anything in foreign policy, you're not going to align 100 per cent of the time on everything," Mr Rubio said when asked if President Trump is "upset" with India getting a "great portion" of the discounted oil from Russia," US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said.

The relations between the two nations have soured since August last year and trade has also suffered as India took steps against the anti-India commentary emerging from Bangladesh under the Yunus regime.

Bangladesh, which is heavily dependent on the United States, believes with a 20% tariff rate, it has done better than its neighbour. "We negotiated carefully to ensure that our commitments aligned with our national interests and capacity," said Dr. Khalilur Rahman, Bangladesh's National Security Advisor and lead negotiator.

"Protecting our apparel industry was a top priority, but we also focused our purchase commitments on US agricultural products. This supports our food security goals and fosters goodwill with US farming states," Rahman added.

"Today, we successfully avoided a potential 35% reciprocal tariff. That's good news for our apparel sector and the millions who depend on it. We've also preserved our global competitiveness and opened up new opportunities to access the world's largest consumer market" Dr. Rahman added.

US President Donald Trump has announced new tariff rates-up to 41%-on imports from 70 countries, just ahead of the August 1 deadline for finalizing bilateral trade agreements.

These agreements extend beyond tariff adjustments to include domestic policy reforms that the Trump administration views as contributing to trade imbalances.