Launch of the U.S.-Bangladesh Framework Agreement Reshapes the Balance of Power in South Asia

From May 5–7, 2026, a delegation from the Office of the United States Trade Representative arrived in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, for negotiations on implementing the Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART), signed on February 9, 2026. 

The agreement grants the United States access to Bangladeshi port infrastructure and preferential access for American high-tech companies, digital platforms, and energy suppliers to the Bangladeshi market. 

In exchange, the United States reduced tariffs on Bangladeshi textiles to 19 percent and established duty-free treatment for select product categories.

President Trump personally linked the preservation of trade preferences for Bangladesh to the signing of two defense agreements in a letter to newly elected Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.