BD may sign cotton import deal with Uzbekistan

[CaPtAiN_pLaNeT]

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BD may sign cotton import deal with Uzbekistan

BD may sign cotton import deal with Uzbekistan

Talha Bin Habib

Bangladesh may sign an agreement with Uzbekistan for importing cotton during a meeting between the officials of the two countries, scheduled to be held early next month in Tashkent, official said.

The first meeting of Bangladesh-Uzbekistan Joint Working Commission for Trade and Economic Cooperation will take place in the Uzbek capital on May 5-8.

To this end a high-powered Bangladeshi delegation, comprising government officials and businessmen of different sectors, will leave the country on May 4. Commerce Secretary Md Ghulam Hussain will lead the delegation.

During the meeting issues on cotton import as well as export of more Bangladeshi items to the country will get preference.

Bangladesh has stepped up efforts to increase trade relation with the former Soviet republics, including Uzbekistan.

"The major aim of the visit to Uzbekistan is to talk about cotton import from the country. Besides, the Bangladeshi delegation will meet the Uzbek officials and businessmen to discuss exporting more Bangladeshi goods, such as ready-made garments (RMG), pharmaceuticals, and jute yarns and goods," an additional secretary of commerce ministry told the FE Sunday.

Chairman of the Bangladesh Jute Association (BJA) and a member of the delegation Mahfuzul Huq said Uzbekistan needs a large quantity of jute yarns, as it has a number of jute-mills, built during the Soviet era.

"Uzbekistan is a potential market for Bangladeshi jute yarns. We will try our best to boost export of jute yarns there," he told the FE.

A director of Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation (BJMC) said Bangladesh exported 0.4 million tonnes of jute yarns to different countries during the fiscal year 2010-11, and earned about US$ 400 million.

Bangladesh exported jute goods and various textile items to Uzbekistan worth $2.576 million during the fiscal, according to the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) statistics.

[kobiraaz]

Good .... It was necessary because of indian fluctuation on cotton export ban!

[eastwatch]

I am wondering about the route of trade when the war in Afghanistan is still continuing. Can we import via Afghanistan and Pakistan? Gwaddar and Karachi are the shortest and cheapest trade route. End of Afghan war is essential for our own progress.

[Lighting_Fighter]

I am wondering about the route of trade when the war in Afghanistan is still continuing. Can we import via Afghanistan and Pakistan? Gwaddar and Karachi are the shortest and cheapest trade route. End of Afghan war is essential for our own progress.

How about by airplane

[kalu_miah]

aajidane should know about this. Uzbekistan is already biggest source of cotton for Bangladesh, specially for export market. Indian cotton is probably used for local market textiles. They come by Iran, Bandar Abbas, AFAIK.

[Skallagrim]

I read that we couldn't import cotton from Uzbekistan directly because of a ban from the EU on Uzbek cotton (child labor issue). Instead we had to do it via Switzerland (i've no knowledge how) which was probably not cost effective. Anyone informed about any recent development?

[kalu_miah]

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Ferghana valley, the bread basket of Central Asia is the place where cotton is also produced, most of this production is in Uzbekistan, some in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. Kazakhstan is mostly into wheat production. Picking cotton by hand was a soviet era tradition for school children and it still continues in the area. Because of Afghanistan, the land route via Khyber is not safe and Pakistan and India has no trade. Someday we will need transit to Afghanistan and Central Asia via India and Pakistan. So currently Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Iran (Bandar Abbas) is the only viable route. The second possible route is via Kazakhstan-Xinjiang-Urumqi-HongKong by rail.

Sometimes these bans are more for keeping cotton trader middle-men control in the market, so buyer's and sellers cannot go direct and eliminate the middle man:
Cargill Cotton | Welcome