Sri Lanka tea, apparel exports to India rise sharply

May 25, 2010 (LBO) - Sri Lanka's exports of tea and apparel to India rose sharply in 2009 as impediments in a free trade deal between the two neighbours were removed, an Indian diplomat said.

"Most of the implementation issues that have created this so-called perception about the FTA have been resolved and others pertaining to NTBs can be resolved if there is will on the Sri Lankan side to move forward with already negotiated frameworks.







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Bilaterally, the FTA has led to the emergence of a "vibrant" economic relationship and a "quantum jump" in trade, investment and economic cooperation between India and Sri Lanka, Misri said.

"Within two years of its coming into force, we saw a doubling of our trade turnover.

In another three years, that is, by 2005, we doubled the trade turnover again. Between 2000 and 2008, the turnover grew five times.



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The trend would have continued in 2009 if not for the global economic crisis.

"It should be a cause for satisfaction that early figures for 2010 are already showing a strong revival of trade between the two countries, which only goes to validate the path we are embarked upon.

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Misri also said that in the past India and Sri La