Dhaka, April 27 -- The country's paper importers and merchants on Sunday demanded curbing customs duty to 5.0 per cent from the existing 15 in the upcoming budget for the financial year 2025-2026.

Four leading trade associations linked to the business - The Paper Importers Association, The Bangladesh Paper Merchants Association, Metropolitan Press Owners Association Bangladesh, and Chattogram Paper & Cellophane Traders - placed their demand at a pre-budget press conference, held at the National Press Club in the city on the day, organised jointly by the organisations.

The associations place their demand, including for a 5.0 per cent customs duty (CD) on high-quality paper and paperboard imports (HS Code 4810), essential raw materials fo...