Category: Trade
Sri Lanka-Singapore FTA to be finalised in 2017: Singapore PM
Feb 20, 2017 (LBO) – The Free Trade Agreement (SLSFTA) between Sri Lanka and Singapore will hopefully be finalised this year, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said following a dinner with Premier Ranil Wickremesinghe. In a FB post on Saturday, Lee said, “We talked about the FTA that we are negotiating, which we hope to […]
Maximum retail price for rice comes into force
Feb 09, 2017 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Consumer Affairs Authority has issued maximum retail prices for three varieties of rice while the minister in charge issued a stern warning to errant sellers across the country. The order is effective from Wednesday and is issued by CAA Chairman Hasitha Thilekeratne under Consumer Affairs Authority Act No […]
Sri Lank plans annual shopping festival for foreign, local shoppers
Feb 03, 2016 (LBO) – Sri Lanka plans to commence an annual shopping festival with the participation of the Sri Lanka Retailers’ Association targeting both foreign and local shoppers. Representatives of companies such as The Factory Outlet, DSI, KPMG, Swarnamahal Jewellers, Hameedia, Singer, Softlogic Retail, Exclusive Lines and Mydeal.lk met with the Minister of Finance […]
Global trade, China, RCEP took centre stage in Davos
Jan 31, 2016 (LBO) – Global trade took centre stage at the World Economic Forum meetings in Davos recently with signs of a new leader in town, despite U.S. assurances they wanted trade and not a trade war. With the U.S. pulling out of TPP, ASEAN’s RCEP stepped into the spotlight. Last year trade flows […]
Sri Lanka adds more investigation officers for price controls
Jan 23, 2017 (LBO) – Sri Lanka is enforcing new protection measures from 21st January to safeguard consumers from errant traders who violate price controls in the domestic market. Industry and Commerce Ministry said 62 new investigation officers were appointed bringing the total force to 250, island-wide, to safeguard 21 million consumers. Speaking at an […]
Sri Lanka, Thailand FTA feasibility to conclude by August
Jan 18, 2017 (LBO) – Sri Lanka is looking at purchasing sugar from Thailand, while the feasibility study for the Free Trade Agreement with Thailand is set to conclude by August 2017, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce said. Minister of Industry and Commerce Rishad Bathiudeen met with Thai counterpart Apiradi Tantraporn, Thai consumer goods […]
APTA countries agree to widening tariff concessions by mid 2017
Jan 17, 2017 (LBO) – Sri Lanka along with other members of Asia Pacific Trade Agreement (APTA) last week agreed to sign the protocol to conclude the 4th round of concessions which are to be implemented by 1st July 2017. The 4th round of tariff concessions has widened the coverage of preferences of total tariff […]
Trade deficit narrows in Sept, cumulative exports down 3pct
Jan 13, 2017 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s trade deficit narrowed in September 2016 with an increase in export earnings for the second consecutive month, together with a reduction in import expenditure. Earnings from exports grew by 5.7 per cent to 898 million dollars in September, compared with 850 million dollars in the same month in […]
‘s GSP+
Jan 11, 2017 (LBO) – The European Commission said it proposed to the European Union to remove significant import duties on Sri Lankan products, to restore GSP Plus trade access to Europe’s export market. “The Commission today proposed that a significant part of the remaining import duties on Sri Lankan products should be removed by the […]
Hambantota port proceeds to be used to pay-off higher interest loans: Ravi
Jan 05, 2017 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s government is planning to use Hambantota port proceeds to pay off higher interest loans which have already been taken, Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake said. Karunanayake told reporters Thursday that the expected value of 1.1 billion US dollars will be initially used to pay off the loans taken at […]
Ten Value Addition Centres for fruits and vegetables to be built
Jan 04, 2017 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s government is to establish ten Value Addition Centres adjacent to farms in public-private partnership with processing, packing and storing facilities. Co-cabinet spokesman Gayantha Karunathilaka told reporters Wednesday the government has taken steps to facilitate local farmers and entrepreneurs to export vegetables and fruits targeting foreign markets conforming to […]
‘s share of Chinese FDI going into Asia low: policy paper
Dec 30, 2016 (LBO) – Sri Lanka, which runs a trade deficit with China, should aim to increase the island’s share of Chinese FDI going into Asia, a policy paper by the Lakshaman Kadirgamar Institute says. The paper argues that Sri Lanka’s relatively low rank among China’s economic partners challenges some claims about China’s contributions […]