Not in the sense of a separate licence per shipment for most goods. The basic requirement is a valid Export Registration Certificate, together with a trade licence and tax registrations, and compliance with the Export Policy. However, goods on the conditional list may need a specific permit or no-objection certificate from the designated authority, sometimes for each consignment, and certain products need health, quality or origin certificates for every shipment. Export licensing therefore depends on the product, the destination and the current policy, which we check before the exporter commits to a contract.

An expired ERC can stop shipments, because banks, Customs and other authorities check registration status when processing export documents. The exporter should renew immediately with the required fee and documents. Depending on the delay, additional fees or explanations may be needed, and shipments in progress may need to be rescheduled. Buyers may have contractual rights if delivery dates are missed. We help exporters regularise lapsed registrations quickly and review whether any export licensing obligations were breached while the certificate was out of date. Calendar reminders help avoid repeats.

Graduation means Bangladesh will eventually lose the most generous least developed country preferences, after transition periods set by each preference-giving country. Access may then depend on qualifying for other preference schemes, which can impose stricter rules of origin and conditions on labour, human rights and environmental standards, or on new trade agreements. The impact varies by product and by how much of the value is produced in Bangladesh. We help exporters model the effect, review supply chains and origin documentation, and adjust export licensing and contracting arrangements well before the transition ends.

The Export Policy contains lists of prohibited and conditionally exportable goods. Historically these have included certain foodstuffs, specified fish species, some natural resources and minerals, antiquities, wildlife products and items that need approval from a particular ministry or authority. The government can also impose temporary bans, for example on food staples when domestic prices rise. Because the lists and orders change, we check the current position for each product and help obtain any required permit, so that an export licensing problem is not discovered after the goods have reached the port.

Yes. Goods or software that contain controlled foreign technology or components may remain subject to the exporting country's controls, such as United States or European Union rules, even after they arrive in Bangladesh. Re-exporting them, or supplying them to sanctioned parties or destinations, can expose the Bangladeshi business and its staff to penalties abroad, loss of suppliers and banking problems. Bangladeshi electronics, engineering and IT businesses should screen products, customers and destinations. We coordinate with overseas counsel on foreign export licensing and sanctions questions affecting Bangladeshi trade. Keep a dated record of checks on customers and destinations.

Under foreign exchange regulation administered by Bangladesh Bank, exporters must ensure that export proceeds are received through the banking channel within the permitted period, with export documents and forms recorded by the exporter's bank. Delay or non-repatriation can lead to reporting by the bank, restrictions on future exports, and investigation. Extensions or write-offs may be possible in defined circumstances, such as buyer insolvency. We advise exporters dealing with unpaid buyers on the regulatory steps with their bank and on recovery action against the buyer, so both sides of the problem are handled together.

Service exports do not usually require goods-style export permits, but they raise regulatory questions of their own: registration and incentives through the relevant authorities, foreign exchange rules on receipt of earnings, tax and VAT treatment, data protection under the Personal Data Protection Act 2026, and contract terms with foreign clients. Software and technology exports may also be affected by foreign export controls on encryption or controlled technology. We advise IT, BPO and consulting businesses on structuring cross-border service contracts and receiving payment in compliance with Bangladeshi law. Contracts should state currency and payment route.

First, preserve evidence: contracts, purchase orders, inspection reports, shipping documents, correspondence and quality records. Then review the payment terms. Under a confirmed letter of credit, payment may be due against compliant documents regardless of the quality dispute. Under open account or documentary collection, the exporter's remedies depend on the contract, the governing law and where the buyer has assets. We advise on negotiation, LC claims, arbitration and enforcement abroad, and on the Bangladesh Bank reporting steps for unpaid export proceeds, which run alongside the commercial dispute. Act promptly on both fronts.