Category: Trade

July 27, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s exports rose 34 percent in May 2011, to 832 million US dollars and imports rose at a faster 67 percent to 1. 76 billion dollars partly due to strong imports of cars and a aircraft, the Central Bank said. Agricultural exports rose 19 percent to 182 million US […]

July 27, 2011 (LBO) – Trade associations representing businesses in Sri Lanka and Belgium had inked a deal to expand economic links between the two countries, the island’s embassy in Brussels said. BelgoLux Sri Lanka Business Council has 23 large Belgium companies, the embassy said. R D S Kumaratne who heads the mission’s economic and […]

July 23, 2011 (LBO) – Economic and people-to-people exchanges between Sri Lanka and Vietnam have soared after the establishment of an embassy barely two months ago, Hanoi’s envoy to Colombo Ton Sinh Thanh said. With growing affluence, Vietnamese have started travelling abroad in a big way, with Europe and South East Asia being top destinations. […]

July 15, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lanka exports grew by a better-than-expected 42 percent in the five months to May and full-year revenues are projected to grow 25 percent to 10 billion US dollars, the state export promotion agency chief said. “Now, our strategy is developing our exports portfolio beyond those markets while protecting the […]

July 10, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lanka is pressing Pakistan to reduce import duties on key exports from the island with the issue to be taken up again at a forthcoming meeting in Colombo following talks in Islamabad. Pakistan would consider reducing high tariffs imposed on certain Sri Lankan agriculture products, the statement said. Analysts […]

July 9, 2011 (LBO) – HVA Foods, a Sri Lanka-based branded tea exporter is planning a blending unit in the Middle East to gain a bigger share in the global retail market by making use of trade liberties. “Discussions with our Middle East partner is at an advanced stage,” HVA Foods chairman Rohan Fernando was […]

July 6, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lanka and Pakistan will have talks on a comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA) to broaden economic links in August in Colombo, a media report in the wake of annual trade talks in Islamabad said. Sri Lanka’s commerce minister Rishad Bathiudeen and Pakistan’s state minister for foreign and economic affairs […]

July 06, 2011 (LBO) – Documents used for international trade such as bills of lading are easily forged, a maritime fraud expert has warned Sri Lankan shippers, saying physical verification of cargoes would help reduce risk. “They don’t get resolved quickly and can take years – many banks have been caught in that position. ” […]

July 02, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lanka and Pakistan will begin talks Monday to expand trade and review the implementation of a free trade deal which was put in place to give more freedom for citizens of both countries to exchange goods with each other. Trade between the two countries was 346 million US dollars. […]

BRUSSELS, May 5, 2011 (AFP) – European Union trade chiefs are planning to strip away special export advantages granted to China, India, Indonesia and scores of other fast-growing economies, an EU source said Thursday. In total, more than 80 emerging economic players also including the likes of Morocco would lose from 2014 benefits gained under […]

Apr 28, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s exports rose 36. 8 percent to 860.3 million US dollars in February with apparel exports rising 47.5 percent to 366.6 million US dollars while imports rose 27 percent to 1. 23 billion US dollars, the Central Bank said. Industrial exports rose 45.4 percent to 658.4 million US dollars. […]

Apr 26, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lanka is seeking to access North American markets under the NAFTA trade deal through partnerships with Mexican businesses, minister of industry and commerce Rishad Bathiudeen said. Mexican Ambassador Nualart said Mexican businesses want to invest in food processing, multiplex cinemas and construction, specially shopping complexes, in Sri Lanka. “Joint […]