Commonwealth Trade MSME Exporter Portal

馃嚙馃嚛 Bangladesh 路 Category 1 of 9

Compliance Requirements

Verified 路 18 May 2026

Every Bangladeshi exporter must hold a valid Export Registration Certificate and meet product-specific conformity rules before goods can lawfully leave the country.

Overview

Before you ship anything from Bangladesh you must be a legally registered exporter. The baseline is the Export Registration Certificate (ERC) issued by the Office of the Chief Controller of Imports and Exports (CCI&E), which is now applied for online through the CCI&E Online Licensing Module and renewed every year. On top of the ERC you need a trade licence from your city or union authority, a Taxpayer Identification Number (e-TIN) from the National Board of Revenue, VAT/BIN registration, and membership of the relevant trade body (for garments this is BGMEA or BKMEA). Product compliance is layered on top: many goods must carry a BSTI conformity or clearance certificate, and food, pharmaceutical and agricultural goods trigger extra sanitary and phytosanitary controls. Treat compliance as a stack, get the ERC first, then the sectoral certificates the buyer's country demands.

Key requirements

  1. 1

    Export Registration Certificate (ERC)

    Mandatory licence from CCI&E to export legally; applied for via the Online Licensing Module, renewed annually. Initial fee about BDT 10,000 plus 15% VAT, renewal about BDT 7,000 plus VAT.

  2. 2

    Trade licence and TIN/BIN

    A current municipal trade licence, an e-TIN from NBR and VAT/Business Identification Number registration are prerequisites for the ERC and for opening export banking facilities.

  3. 3

    Trade-body membership

    Sector association membership is compulsory for many product lines (e.g. BGMEA/BKMEA for garments, EAB for exporters generally) and is checked at ERC and incentive stages.

  4. 4

    Product conformity certification

    BSTI certification or a No-Objection/clearance certificate is required for regulated products; buyers frequently also demand voluntary standards (OEKO-TEX, ISO, GOTS).

  5. 5

    Certificate of Origin

    A Certificate of Origin (preferential GSP/SAFTA/APTA or non-preferential) must accompany most consignments and is now issued electronically through the Bangladesh Single Window / EPB.

Documents you will need

  • Export Registration Certificate (ERC)
  • Valid municipal trade licence
  • e-TIN certificate
  • VAT / BIN registration certificate
  • Trade-association membership certificate
  • Bank solvency / account certificate
  • Passport-size photos and national ID of the proprietor/directors
  • Memorandum & Articles or partnership deed (for companies/firms)