DHAKA, July 27 (Reuters) - Bangladesh has ordered 25

aircraft from Boeing ( BA ) and ramped up imports of key

American goods in an effort to defuse trade tensions and bring

down the steep tariffs imposed by the Trump administration, a

senior official said on Sunday.

The moves are part of a broader strategy to narrow a $6

billion U.S. trade deficit with Bangladesh and avoid a looming

35% tariff hike that has rattled the country's export sector,

especially the garments industry which risks losing

competitiveness in one of its largest markets.

"We need new aircraft urgently, possibly within the next

couple of years," Commerce Secretary Mahbubur Rahman told

reporters. "Initially, it was 14 planes - now it's 25," he said,

referring to an earlier plan to purchase aircraft from the

U.S.-based manufacturer.

Alongside the aircraft deal, Bangladesh is boosting

imports of wheat, soybean oil and cotton from the United States.

A new agreement signed earlier this month will see the country

import 700,000 tonnes of U.S. wheat annually over the next five

years.

Officials hope that these steps will help improve trade

relations with Washington and soften the impact of the Trump

administration's tariff measures.