Category: General Services

BEIJING, Sept 13, 2006 (AFP) – Six Hollywood studios said Wednesday they had filed suit against Chinese firms for allegedly selling illegal copies of their movies, in a case aimed at curbing the rampant piracy of Western films here. More than 90 percent of films sold in China on DVD are estimated to be pirate […]

Sept 11, 2006 (LBO) – Sri Lankan producers of vanaspati a vegetable oil, are trying to break into the domestic market and diversify exports after being stung by recent Indian import controls. There are about 12 local manufacturers of the hydrogenated palm oil and similar product bakery shortenings a vegetable fat used largely for industrial […]

Sept 08, 2006 (LBO) – Sri Lanka™s clothing trade, which employs about a million workers, is opposing trade union efforts to jack up minimum monthly wages to 10,000 rupees, due to spiraling costs and tight margins. Trade unions have asked the government to raise wages for all industries to a minimum of 10,000 rupees a […]

Sept 08, 2006 (LBO) – Local businessmen have been asked to diversify exports to Pakistan outside of a few traditional commodities, and fast, to fully exploit bilateral trade between both countries.Top exports to Pakistan Sri Lanka’s second largest trading partner in South Asia after India are largely confined to coconut products, rubber, tea, vegetable products, […]

Sept 05 (LBO) – India is drawing up a more favourable package for Sri Lankan garment exports to the country under the Indo-Lanka trade deal. Quotas on apparel and tea have been poorly utilised and has not really taken off, Sunjay Sudhir, Counsellor, Economic and Commercial at the Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka, told […]

Sept 06 (LBO) – Sri Lanka has approved new terms to limit exports of vanaspathi vegetable oil to India, with the government hopeful that local factories will re-open in a month. The two countries clocked up just under two billion dollars in bilateral trade last year a four fold increase since the free trade deal […]

August 26, 2006 (LBO) – Sri Lanka is trying to clinch a free trade deal with Canada to push its apparel exports, with the industry also promised a government goodie bag like cheap land and electricity, to battle China and Vietnam. “We are working with the government for a duty free deal with Canada it […]

August 23, 2006 (LBO) – Sri Lankan apparel exports to Europe grew by as much as 30 percent in June, as manufacturers made better use of tax breaks to the EU. The industry earned 1.32 billion dollars in the first half of this year, a four percent growth, though exports to top market the United […]

August 22, 2006 (LBO) – Sri Lankan manufacturers of vegetable oil vanaspati say unsold shipments are stuck in Indian ports and in local factories after New Delhi unilaterally capped duty free imports. Exports earnings, the association says, are in the region of 700,000 dollars a day. Some 200 containers are stuck in Indian ports since […]

August 21, 2006 (LBO) – Sri Lanka has set an end September deadline to implement commitments under its trade deals with India, Pakistan and other South Asian countries. Sri Lanka was expected to phase out tariffs under its free trade deals with India and Pakistan this year, as well as under the South Asian Free […]

The first sale of a license to operate a taxi service, through a call option, ended with no competitive bidding as only one buyer came forward, raising doubts about the demand for the other licenses to be auctioned over the next eight days. Senok Trade Combine was the only bidder at Monday™s auction where a […]

August 11 (LBO) – Sri Lanka™s Board of Investment is to expand a selective list of exporters and importers who get Green Channel or speedy clearance through customs. We are in the process of considering further investors who are eligible for the scheme and we will add on another five to ten a month to […]