According to a report by Bangladesh’s “Financial Express” on February 3, as Bangladesh is highly dependent on China for industrial raw materials and finished products, Bangladesh’s trade and economy may be seriously affected by China’s The impact of the spreading novel coronavirus pneumonia epidemic.
The report stated that nearly 28% of Bangladesh’s imported products come from China, followed by India with nearly 14%. According to industry insiders, China mainly provides fabrics and clothing accessories for local clothing manufacturing, and Bangladesh’s main export industry is highly dependent on this. Bangladesh Bank statistics show that more than 40% of textiles and textile-related goods and nearly 30% of machinery come from China. Bangladesh’s imports from China also include agricultural machinery, mobile phones, electrical appliances and electronic products, fruits and major spices. It’s the New Year in China right now and almost all factories are closed. The actual impact of the outbreak will therefore be felt after the New Year holidays, as it will take at least two weeks for those affected to be identified. Any critical situation in the affected cities is likely to drag down its supply of raw materials, thus affecting Bangladesh’s export sector in recent months.
In addition, development projects and tourism may be affected. The Chinese are currently engaged in various large-scale projects in Bangladesh, including the Padma Multipurpose Bridge. The large number of Chinese involved in these large-scale projects will directly affect the implementation of the project and the tourism industry.
At the same time, the Chittagong Customs Department has adopted measures to inspect goods at the port to prevent the spread of the virus through goods and traffic from China. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh has decided to stop issuing visas on arrival to Chinese citizens.
