The United Kingdom is interested in working with Bangladesh to achieve an enhanced trade and investment relationship, said UK Minister for International Trade Nigel Huddleston MP.

"My first visit here demonstrates the UK's strong ambition to work with Bangladesh to achieve an enhanced trade and investment relationship. I look forward to working with the Government of Bangladesh on increasing mutual prosperity by addressing barriers to market access and trade," Huddleston said in a press release on Wednesday (5 July).

"The UK has a strong and enduring relationship with Bangladesh, and our trade with the country has grown significantly over the past year," he added.

Nigel Huddleston MP arrived in Dhaka on Tuesday (4 July) for a visit focused on strengthening trade and investment ties between the two countries.

The UK is committed to working with Bangladesh to create a trade and investment relationship that will create jobs and grow both economies. The total trade in goods and services between the UK and Bangladesh reached a record £4.7 billion at the end of 2022, the press release added.

During his visit, Minister Huddleston will meet Prime Minister's Private Industry and Investment Adviser Salman F Rahman MP. They will discuss the aviation trade and investment partnership, signed by the UK and Bangladesh in May 2023.

Huddleston will also meet Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi MP to discuss the UK's world-leading Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS), which came into force last month and makes it easier for Bangladesh to trade with the UK.

Bangladeshi exporters now benefit from simpler and more generous Rules of Origin, which means that they are able to produce goods using components from many more countries and still export these with zero tariffs to the UK.

Following the joint communique on aviation trade and investment partnership, Minister Huddleston will meet State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism Mahbub Ali MP; the discussions will focus on the UK's offer to help Bangladesh realise its ambition of becoming the next aviation hub in South Asia.