Bangladesh and South Korea have signed a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) in Dhaka, aimed at expanding bilateral trade and investment.

Under the agreement, 97 percent of Bangladesh’s goods will receive preferential market access in South Korea, while 87 percent of Korean goods will receive similar access to the Bangladeshi market.

Commerce Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir and South Korean Trade Minister Han-Koo Yeo announced the agreement at a press conference at the Commerce Ministry in Dhaka. Responding to questions from journalists, the ministers said the CEPA would create greater opportunities for trade and investment between the two countries.

Bangladesh exported goods worth $421 million to South Korea in FY2025–26, a 9 percent decline from the previous year, according to data from the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB).

Meanwhile, Bangladesh imported goods worth $614 million from South Korea during the July–December period of the last fiscal year. Full-year imports reached $1.2 billion in FY2024–25, up 33 percent from $903 million in FY2023–24, according to Bangladesh Bank.

The agreement comes after the former interim government signed an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with Japan in Tokyo in February this year, as Bangladesh seeks to maintain its international trade competitiveness following its graduation from the Least Developed Country (LDC) category.

Source: The Daily Star