Bangladesh Bank Relaxes Rules for Online Exports
Bangladesh Bank relaxes foreign exchange regulations, allowing exporters to sell up to $5,000 per transaction on Amazon, Alibaba, and Shopify. The policy has drawn mixed reactions from e-commerce merchants.
The Bangladesh Bank has relaxed foreign exchange restrictions to allow exporters to sell products directly to global consumers through online marketplaces. According to a circular issued on Monday (June 15), Bangladeshi exporters can now list and display their products on internationally recognized platforms like Amazon, Alibaba, and Shopify, easing Business-to-Consumer (B2C) e-commerce exports.
Under the new guidelines, exporters can ship small-value goods worth up to $5,000 per transaction under CFR (Cost and Freight) terms. Furthermore, the mandatory filing of the 'EXP Form' has been waived for shipments up to $1,000, provided the full amount is received in advance through banking channels or authorized digital payment systems. The circular also permits issuing shipping documents directly to foreign buyers, refunding money for returned or low-quality goods, and remitting subscription and registration fees from Bangladesh to online marketplaces.
Local businesses believe this move will boost cross-border e-commerce, allowing direct shipping to consumers rather than relying on advance-bulk models.
However, some e-commerce entrepreneurs criticized the move, calling the $5,000 CFR limit and structural conditions bureaucratic. Pointing out that China exports trillions of dollars via e-commerce, they argued that these complex rules do not stop money laundering, as money launderers can easily move millions through cryptocurrency without such dramas.
//DBTech/BB/EK//
