Dhaka:Bangladesh plans to expand its exports to China's Yunnan province by leveraging their geographical proximity, according to Commerce Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir. He emphasized the importance of quickly operationalizing proposed free bonded warehouses and exhibition facilities to facilitate Bangladeshi product entry into the market of nearly 46.4 million people.
According to United News of Bangladesh, a high-level delegation from Yunnan, led by Executive Vice Governor Zhao Junmin, attended a meeting at the Ministry of Commerce in Dhaka. The discussions highlighted the potential for deeper cooperation in trade, investment, agriculture, energy, and technology between Bangladesh and Yunnan. Muktadir suggested establishing a 1,200-kilometre road link from Chattogram through Myanmar to Kunming to enable goods transport within roughly 24 hours, which would reduce transport costs and enhance regional trade.
Bilateral trade between Yunnan and Bangladesh reached 1.3 billion yuan in 2025, reflecting recent progress. Zhao noted that Bangladesh is the first South Asian country to benefit from Yunnan's special trade facilitation policy, which includes bonded warehouses, exhibition centres, and customs facilities for Bangladeshi products. A venue in Yunnan has been designated for showcasing Bangladeshi goods, following a memorandum of understanding between Yunnan's trade department and Bangladesh's Export Promotion Bureau.
The meeting also focused on expanding direct cargo flight connectivity and discussed Bangladesh's potential to export jute, leather products, frozen fish, and other agricultural items to Yunnan. Participants noted the opportunities a direct cargo air link with northeastern Bangladesh would provide for trading perishable goods.
Muktadir also proposed a joint research centre to improve Bangladeshi jute quality and productivity, and called for increased Chinese investment in Bangladesh. He invited Yunnan's women entrepreneurs to explore investment opportunities and sought cooperation in developing a modern park in Sylhet, modelled on Kunming's parks. Zhao described the proposals as positive and expressed interest in advancing cooperation across various sectors.