American cotton farmers could soon see more trade opportunities after a significant barrier has been removed for exports to Bangladesh. The South Asian country relies heavily on imported cotton to retain its status as one of the world’s top clothing exporters.
Leaders there recently lifted a requirement for U.S. baled cotton to be fumigated on arrival. Under the new rules, U.S. cotton can now enter the country with a phytosanitary certificate and an additional declaration saying the bale does not contain boll weevil.
The US Dept. of Agriculture (USDA) says the removal is the result of decades of hard work by the department and the cotton industry. The USDA formally requested the removal of the fumigation requirement back in 2017 based on risk analysis.
