Both countries exchange list of goods for preferential treatment

KATHMANDU, Feb 17: Trade officials of Nepal and Bangladesh, who met in Dhaka on Sunday, exchanged the list of products proposed by both sides for preferential access to each other´s markets.



They also held discussions on the modality to operationalize Chittagong and Mongla ports for transit cargo for bilateral trade.[break]



“Officials from both the countries exchanged the lists of proposed products for duty-free access to each other´s markets and reached an understanding to finalize the list in upcoming joint-secretary level meeting to be held in Kathmandu,” Hari Kumar Shrestha, Nepalese Ambassador to Bangladesh, told Republica over phone from Dhaka.



Shrestha also said the two countries also discussed on the proposed draft of modalities of Operating Procedure of Transport of Transit Cargos to operationalize Chittagong and Mongla Ports for bilateral trade benefits.



“Both the sides have agreed to finalize the draft of the modalities in the next joint-secretary level meeting,” added Shrestha.



The much delayed joint secretary-level technical meeting, originally scheduled for September 2012, is held to create a ground for formal signing of trade issues between the two south Asian nations at the upcoming commerce secretary-level meeting.



Joint-secretaries at commerce ministries of both countries have been asked to finalize the implementation modalities for different agreements signed at secretary-level meeting held in Kathmandu on July 30, 2012.

Related story

Reducing trade deficit with China