The Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) under Bangladesh’s Ministry of Commerce has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Department of Commerce of Yunnan Province, People’s Republic of China, marking a strategic step toward deeper trade collaboration and export diversification.

The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the Mekong–Lancang Fruit Festival in Kunming, where Bangladesh is participating for the first time. The event provides a platform for Bangladeshi fruit producers and exporters to showcase fresh and processed agricultural products to international buyers. Countries such as Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar have historically participated in the festival under similar cooperation arrangements with Yunnan.

Under the MoU, Bangladeshi enterprises will gain access to a range of facilitation measures designed to lower entry barriers into the Chinese market. These include rent-free bonded warehouse facilities of up to 2,000 square meters, rent-free offline exhibition space, and free access to Yunnan’s designated online commodity city, a unified digital marketplace for cross-border trade. Additional benefits include reduced logistics fees, preferential air freight policies, and expedited customs clearance for fresh and perishable agricultural products.

The agreement was signed by Baby Rani Karmakar, Director General of EPB and Joint Secretary to the Government of Bangladesh, and Ma Jun, Deputy Director General of Yunnan’s Department of Commerce. Senior officials from the Bangladesh missions in Kunming and Beijing were present during the signing ceremony and the festival inauguration.

A delegation of nine Bangladeshi fruit producers and exporters is participating in the festival, supported by officials from the Mekong–Lancang Sub-regional Economic Cooperation and Trade Development Center. Bangladesh’s participation underscores the government’s commitment to exploring new markets and broadening the country’s export base beyond traditional sectors.

However, fully capitalizing on this opportunity will require strategic preparation. Developing a targeted export portfolio—such as design-differentiated garments, fresh agro-products, standards-compliant agro-processed foods, and culturally distinctive handicrafts—will be critical to meeting Chinese market demand.

The online commodity city is not merely a listing platform but a transactional marketplace. Bangladeshi exporters must therefore strengthen capabilities in digital marketing, data analytics, and consumer engagement to compete effectively. Similarly, fast-track customs clearance will only deliver value if exporters can ensure consistent volumes, underscoring the need for stronger cold-chain logistics, inventory planning, and supply-chain discipline.

Beyond infrastructure and incentives, the MoU represents a broader opportunity to position Bangladesh as a credible, competitive, and visible trading partner in China. If leveraged strategically, Yunnan can serve as a testing ground for branding, learning, and scaling—creating ripple effects across Bangladesh’s wider export ecosystem.