The Hindu Business Line : SAARC international fair begins today — FIEO team to discuss major trade issues with Bangladesh

A 31-MEMBER first such multi-products trade delegation put together by the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO), Eastern Region, is leaving for Bangladesh on Saturday to participate in the fifth SAARC International Trade Fair beginning in Dhaka on December 27.

The team will take up the major issues affecting smooth flow of exports from India to Bangladesh with trade bodies and Government officials. The SAARC Fair is being inaugurated by the Union Minister of State for Commerce, Mr S.B. Mookerjee.

Briefing presspersons here on Friday on the purpose of the four-day programme, from December 27 to 30, and the broad agenda being pursued, Mr Prakash Thaker, Chairman, FIEO, ER and the leader of the delegation, said among the issues to be discussed would be the restrictions imposed by the Government of Bangladesh on various items such as yarn, spices, sugar and paperboard through the Land Customs Stations. He said the delegation might also have detailed discussions with senior officials of the National Board of Revenue, Bangladesh.

The areas to be discussed broadly pertain to those that would figure in a successful Free Trade Agreement with Bangladesh. Mr Thaker put the Indo-Bangla two-way trade, as on March 31, 2003, now grossly in favour of India, at around $1.238 billion (about around Rs 5,297 crore), some 80 per cent of which was through the land border points in the eastern and north-eastern regions, particularly in Bengal. Imports from Bangladesh, comprising mostly jute yarn, are of the order of Rs 273 crore.

In the delegation, four exporters are from Orissa, dealing in pharma products and other general merchandise.

He said the visit of the delegation would be followed by buyer-seller meetings (BSMs) at Dhaka, organised in collaboration with five leading chambers of commerce of Bangladesh such as the Federation of Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Dhaka Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Chittagong Chamber of Commerce & Industry and the Sylhet Chamber of Commerce & Industry.

Mr Thakker said an earlier joint secretary level talks between the two sides had discussed that Bangladesh imposed restrictions on yarn export through LCS points, and there might be agreement on allowing such exports through the North-East point.

Describing the Bangladesh move as a kind of non-tariff barrier, he said as a kind of quid pro quo arrangement, India might have to ease up on cement exports by Bangladesh to India.

Among the major items of export from India are tea, cereals, wheat, sugar, tobacco, fresh vegetables, fruits, oil meal, plastic and linoleum products, paper/wood products, electronic goods, engineering items and transport equipment.

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