Diversify products to take scope of Canadian market Dipu tells exporters

http://www.theindependent-bd.com/details.php?nid=167968

Diversify products to take scope of Canadian market Dipu tells exporters

DIPLOMATIC CORRESPONDENT

Foreign Minister Dr Dipu Moni yesterday urged Bangladeshi business community to diversify their product basket for full utilisation of trade facilities extended by Canada.

“Canada has granted access to 141 Bangladeshi products, almost all products, but we couldn’t take advantage of the scope,” Dipu said while addressing a meeting at a city hotel.

The High Commission of Canada and the Canadian Chamber in Bangladesh jointly organised the meeting on the achievement of a billion-dollar in ‘Annual two-way Trade between Canada and Bangladesh in 2009’.

The Foreign Minister expressed her satisfaction to know that Bangladesh-Canada trade stood at $1.4 billion (Canadian dollar) in the last year from 0.25B in just five years. Canadian export to Bangladesh was worth $626 million while Bangladesh exported goods worth $808 million in the last year.

“We want to strengthen our well established strong trade relations with Canada. The government would provide all possible assistance to the business community,” the foreign minister said.

Canadian High Commissioner Robert Mcdougall said Bangladesh has great untapped potentials to develop. Canada can also play a key role in helping Bangladesh build much needed infrastructure in years ahead including transportation systems, power generation and gas exploration projects.Mcdougall said there remain significant barriers to investment in Bangladesh. The barriers include poor infrastructure.

Sharing a similar opinion with Dipu Moni, he also emphasised the need for diversification of the country’s products and markets to gear up the export growth.

Canada Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce (CanCham) president Masud Rahman said Bangladesh had traditionally been the largest recipient of Canadian bilateral assistance.

The chamber will shortly organise ‘Showcase Canada Programme’ in order to further promote and facilitate trade between the two countries, he informed.