Buyers are asking Bangladeshi exporters to share the additional tariff burden in a garment market which exports almost $9bn of products to the US annually; meanwhile the government wants to reduce barriers for US imports.
The merged businesses, to be called SILQ Group, help support SMEs through funding and their supply chain; the merger is backed by a $110m funding round from Valar Ventures and Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund.
Firms in the garment and pharmaceutical sectors are navigating severe turbulence in their businesses. The new government is trying to shore up FX reserves, bank balance sheets, keep inflation under control, and deal with flooding that hit over five million people in August.
There have been significant difficulties for supply chains reliant on garment factories, accessing USD, banks and the FX rate; however, a new administration could help bring a turnaround.
Use of letters of credit (LC) for exports to Bangladesh surged 118% last year, compared with the previous 12 months. Increased trade with China is likely a key driver.