Bangladesh’s fresh fruit imports fell to $128.51 million in the first half of FY25, the lowest in three years, due to the taka’s depreciation and high import duties. Letters of credit (LC) openings for fruit imports declined 3.29% year-on-year to $140.5 million in July-December FY25. The Bangladesh Trade and Tariff Commission (BTTC) warned that excessive tariffs—where Tk 120 in taxes is charged on Tk 86 worth of fruit—could lead to increased smuggling and overuse of preservatives. In FY24, apple imports fell 51%, oranges 70%, and grapes 29%, while in January, mandarins dropped 51%, pears 45%, and pomegranates 32% year-on-year. Bangladesh spent $300 million on fruit imports in FY24, totaling Tk 4,664 crore with additional costs. The government collected Tk 5,139 crore in revenue. The BTTC proposed cutting the supplementary duty from 30% to 20% and reducing the advance tax on imports from 10% to 2% to ease costs.
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