Importing into Bangladesh

A non-commercial parcel to Bangladesh enters free of customs duty and other duties and taxes when it is valued at BDT 4,000 or less and the duties and taxes on it would come to no more than BDT 4,000. Bangladesh doubled both limits from BDT 2,000 on 2 June 2025. Goods above the limits, and commercial consignments, pay the full set of import charges for their tariff line, including 15% VAT.

Rules as of 30 October 2026.

What is Bangladesh's de minimis?#

Bangladesh's de minimis comes from the Customs (De Minimis) Rules, 2019. A non-commercial import consignment is released without customs duty or other duties and taxes when it passes two tests: its value is BDT 4,000 or less, and the duties and taxes it would otherwise pay are BDT 4,000 or less.

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) raised both figures from BDT 2,000 to BDT 4,000 by SRO No. 228-Ain/2025/50/Customs, dated 29 May 2025 and in force from 2 June 2025. Some Bangladesh Customs pages written before that date still show BDT 2,000, so go by the SRO.

The rule is for non-commercial consignments only: goods imported for trade, such as stock for resale, pay the full charges whatever their value. The de minimis guide compares Bangladesh with other countries.

What does a parcel above the limit pay?#

A parcel to Bangladesh above the de minimis pays the charges set for its tariff line. The Bangladesh Customs tariff lists customs duty (CD), regulatory duty (RD), supplementary duty (SD), VAT, advance income tax (AIT) and advance tax (AT) for each code, with a total tax incidence (TTI) summing them as a percentage of the value.

VAT on a taxable import is 15% unless the law sets another rate, under section 15 of the Value Added Tax and Supplementary Duty Act, 2012. The other charges vary a lot by product: some lines pay little beyond VAT, while lines with regulatory or supplementary duty carry much more. Look up the line before you price an order, because the code decides almost everything.

The operative tariff on the Bangladesh Customs import and export hub shows the rates and the import requirements for each code. The HS code lookup helps you find the right code first, and the landed cost calculator runs the sums where border.bot has the rates.

Which goods need permission?#

Bangladesh sets import requirements per product, alongside the duty rates, and some goods need a permit, certificate or clearance from another authority before customs releases them. The Bangladesh Customs hub lists these requirements next to each tariff code, so the same lookup that gives you the rates tells you whether the goods are restricted.

A parcel that qualifies for the de minimis on value still has to meet those requirements. Low value doesn't make a restricted product importable. border.bot Restrict flags restricted goods per product and destination.

Tips for sellers shipping to Bangladesh#

Bangladesh is a market where the tariff line, not the parcel value, decides most of the cost. The de minimis helps small non-commercial consignments, but anything above BDT 4,000 pays every charge on its line, so look the code up before you price and check its import requirements before you list.

• Check both tests before you tell a buyer an order will arrive free: value and duties and taxes of BDT 4,000 or less, on a non-commercial consignment.
• Look up the total tax incidence for your product's code before you set a price for Bangladesh.
• Check the import requirements for the code on the Bangladesh Customs hub before you list the product.
• Put an accurate description, value and code on the commercial invoice.

The Bangladesh country page has the data border.bot holds for Bangladesh.

Common questions#

What is the duty-free limit in Bangladesh?#

BDT 4,000 since 2 June 2025, for non-commercial consignments. The value must be BDT 4,000 or less and the duties and taxes that would apply must also be BDT 4,000 or less.

What is the VAT rate on imports into Bangladesh?#

15%, under section 15 of the Value Added Tax and Supplementary Duty Act, 2012, unless the law sets a different rate for the goods.

Sources#

• SRO No. 228-Ain/2025/50/Customs amending the Customs (De Minimis) Rules, 2019 (opens in a new tab), National Board of Revenue, 29 May 2025, in force 2 June 2025
• Operative tariff: import requirements and de minimis note (opens in a new tab), Bangladesh Customs, 9 February 2025
• The Value Added Tax and Supplementary Duty Act, 2012 (unofficial English translation) (opens in a new tab), National Board of Revenue, accessed 30 October 2026