China keen to import more from Bangladesh: envoy

China is taking necessary actions to import more products from Bangladesh, especially mangoes, jute and jute goods, leather, meat and seafood aimed at reducing bilateral trade gap.

"China is expecting to complete their internal process to start importing Bangladeshi mangoes by the second half of this year," Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud told reporters after a meeting with Chinese Ambassador Wen Yao at the foreign ministry in Dhaka today.

Mahmud said China is a major trade partner of Bangladesh, but there is a huge trade gap.

"We said there should be duty-free access for our products to increase our export to China."

China's export to Bangladesh was $26.81 billion in 2022 when Bangladesh's export to China was less than $1 billion.

The foreign minister appreciated the progress in free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations between Bangladesh and China and hoped that it will be finalised by 2026 before the graduation of Bangladesh from the least developed country category.

He acknowledged China's contribution to vaccine support for Bangladesh during the Covid-19 pandemic.