Analysis of Agri-Food Trade Structures
To Promote Agri-Food Trade Networks
In the Islamic Countries
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and fully benefit from them, all products identified as GIs need to be brought under the
registrationmechanismnow put into place by the GI Act. Harmonization andmutual recognition
of Bangladesh’s GI products with countries that have a tradition of protecting GIs through
aligned legal conditions and effective protection system is necessary to realize the opportunity
created by the adoption of the GI Act.26
International and Regional Labels
Bangladesh is working towards promoting its export products to upstream markets through
harmonizing and promoting its public and private standards with international and regional
standards. Working under the GlobalGap approach, Bangladesh has successfully exported about
5000 tons of fresh horticultural produce and 300 tons of non-traditional items like French beans
and Broccoli to EU countries, through producing products to international standards by
maintaining a contract growing system, Good Agricultural Practice (GAP), Traceability and
Maximum Residue Level (MRL). At the regional level, in 2006 ASEAN countries through the
ASEAN Secretariat developed the ASEANGAP for fruits and vegetables with the purpose of
enhancing harmonization of national GAP programs within the ASEAN region. The Ministry of
Agriculture and its associated organizations are working towards developing a national
program on Good Agricultural Practice (BanglaGAP) for fresh produce in Bangladesh.
SARRC members are also working to achieve and enhance coordination and cooperation among
South Asian countries in the fields of standardization and conformity assessment. The South
Asian Regional Standards Organization (SARSO) was established in 2011 to develop harmonized
Standards for the region to facilitate intra-regional trade and to have access to the global market.
BSTI is accredited by the National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies (NABCB), India
starting from 9 January 2012 aiming to ensure export products’ conformity assessment in the
regional and Indianmarkets. 27 Recently 21 Bangladeshi food items certified by the BSTI received
permission to enter India without further testing as the Indian authorities started accepting the
test certificates provided by the BSTI. 28 Bangladesh could also pursue similar regional standard
and conformity assessment approach to promote its exports and imports with the OIC member
countries, especially by joining the SMIIC.
Recent Evolution of the Trade Policy Landscape
Trade policy with respect to imported food staples (rice and wheat) is characterized by
interventions based on food security concerns and variable in terms of levels of protection and
support. According to the WTO Trade Policy Review, Bangladesh has bound 17.8 % of its tariff
lines, fromwhich 100% of agricultural tariff lines are bound; while this is the case for only 2.7%
of industrial tariff lines. The average applied customs duty on agricultural products (19.4%)
remains higher than the one for industrial goods (14.3%). Additional protection has been
maintained through other charges and internal taxes, notably regulatory duties and
supplementary duties (SDs). Regarding import restrictions, Bangladesh has maintained the
26 Zahur, M. (2017). The Geographical Indication Act 2013: Protection of Traditional Knowledge in Bangladesh with Special
Reference to Jamdani. In I. Calboli & W. Ng-Loy (Eds.), Geographical Indications at the Crossroads of Trade, Development, and
Culture: Focus on Asia-Pacific (pp. 439-460). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/9781316711002.019
27 For more information, please see the webpage of National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies (NABCB), India,
available at
28 Address by Indian High Commissioner Harsh Vardhan Shringla at the Indian Agro Products Buyer-Seller Meet 2018 at Hotel
Pan Pacific Sonargaon, Dhaka, 04 March 2018, available at