Dhaka, July 11 -- The first day of the second round of high-level tariff negotiations between Bangladesh and the United States was described as "very comprehensive" by the Chief Adviser's Office, as both countries seek to resolve trade tensions sparked by Washington's proposed steep tariff hike on Bangladeshi exports.

The three-day talks, which began on July 9 in Washington, DC, come amid mounting concerns in Dhaka over the US government's decision to impose a 35 percent tariff on Bangladeshi goods effective August 1-a rate significantly higher than the 20 percent duty Bangladeshi officials had anticipated.

The originally proposed 37percent was slightly reduced, but the new figure still poses a potential blow to Bangladesh's export-depe...