The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has urged the visiting US trade delegation to help reduce countervailing duties on Bangladeshi exports. During the meeting, the US Trade Representative team stressed labor law reforms in line with international standards. BGMEA President Mahmud Hasan Khan said Bangladesh has already achieved 20% tariff benefits, but overall exports face an average duty of 16.5%, pushing the effective burden to 36.5%. He suggested using a “stacking method” to rationalize tariffs. On labor reforms, Khan said BGMEA is in dialogue with all stakeholders and has submitted concrete proposals on amending the 2006 Labor Act.