US welcomes cancellation of cotton evaporation in Bangladesh

The United States has welcomed the decision to cancel the process of poisoning imported cotton in Bangladesh. For more than 22 years, the United States had been in continuous negotiations with Bangladesh for the cancellation of cotton fumigation obligations.

The information was revealed in a press release of the US Embassy in Dhaka on Monday (May 22).

It reveals, according to the law which came into effect from May 16 of the current year, cotton imported from the United States can be released at the port of Bangladesh without the process of deworming through fumigation or poisoning. This will save Bangladeshi importers hundreds of crores of taka and end the five-day waiting period.

The decision was taken following the visit of a technical delegation of the Bangladesh Ministry of Agriculture to the United States in November 2022. During the visit to the US, the delegation visited US cotton production processes on the ground and reviewed their pest management strategies.

At that time, they were convinced by the techniques followed in cotton processing– ginning or removing seeds and dirt from cotton, lint cleaning or removing leaves, grass or other material, pressing hard while making cotton bales, and boll weevil in cotton imported from the USA. Nor is there any possibility of cotton bollworms.

US Ambassador to Dhaka, Peter D. Haas said, United States and Bangladesh are a great example of how to solve problems by working together and to increase prosperity and remove trade barriers by working together. US consumers depend on durable, high-quality clothing made in Bangladesh. Therefore, Bangladesh needs high quality US cotton to increase its growth and foreign exchange earnings.