The Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) of Bangladesh has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Department of Commerce of Yunnan Province, China. The agreement was signed during the Mekong–Lancang Fruit Festival, where Bangladeshi fruit producers and exporters are participating for the first time to showcase agricultural and processed food products at Tongde Kunming Plaza. Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, and Myanmar regularly exhibit at the event under similar cooperation agreements.
According to a press release, the MOU supports Bangladesh's efforts to expand market access and diversify exports. Under the agreement, Bangladeshi enterprises will receive several facilitation measures in Yunnan Province. These include rent-free bonded warehouse space of up to 2,000 square meters, rent-free offline exhibition space of the same size, and free access to Yunnan's designated online commodity city. The agreement also provides reduced logistics fees for market procurement trade, fast customs clearance for fresh and perishable agricultural goods, and preferential air freight and logistics policies.
The MOU was signed by Baby Rani Karmakar, Director General of EPB and Joint Secretary to the Government of Bangladesh, and Ma Jun, Deputy Director General of the Department of Commerce of Yunnan Province. Officials from the Consulate General of Bangladesh in Kunming and the Bangladesh Embassy in Beijing attended both the signing and the festival opening. A group of nine Bangladeshi fruit exporters and producers is taking part in the festival, joined by representatives of the Mekong–Lancang Sub-Regional Economic Cooperation and Trade Development Center.
Bangladesh's participation in the festival and the new cooperation agreement underline the country's objective to broaden its export base. The agreement offers access to cost-effective warehousing, exhibition space, and digital platforms that can support Bangladeshi enterprises entering the Chinese consumer market.
The text notes that developing an export portfolio suited to Chinese demand will be necessary. It cites garments, fresh agricultural goods, agro-processed food, and handicrafts as examples of product categories with potential market interest. It states that the online commodity city functions as a marketplace, and Bangladeshi exporters will need skills in digital marketing, data analytics, and consumer engagement to utilize the platform effectively.
Faster customs clearance may benefit exporters only if consistent shipping volumes can be maintained. The document points to the need for improved cold chain logistics and inventory management to support uninterrupted supply. It concludes that the MOU provides a framework for Bangladesh to strengthen its presence in regional trade and develop market experience that may support broader export growth.
Source: Daily Asian Age
