Category: Trade

June 19, 2010 (LBO) – South Asian countries like Sri Lanka have a common interest in forging a common regional stand in world trade talks, trade experts and economists told a meeting in Colombo. “If formalities are made to delay imports it becomes a trade barrier,” Sen said. He said South Asian countries should get […]

June 18, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka wants to extend economic links with India by signing a new trade agreement once concerns are addressed, 10 years after the first free trade deal was inked with the neighbour, a government minister said. The agreement is also expected come with mutual recognition of standards to prevent health […]

June 15, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s main opposition United National Party is not opposing an enhanced trade liberalization deal with India, but wants transparency and a parliamentary debate to clear doubts, a lawmaker said. The CEPA deal hopes to build on a 10-year-old existing India-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement. Over the last decade trade […]

June 12, 2010 (AFP) – Chinese Vice-Premier Zhang Dejiang held talks with Sri Lanka’s president Saturday after signing six trade and economic deals, the president’s office said in a statement. Zhang had a breakfast meeting with President Mahinda Rajapakse and the two reviewed ongoing Chinese-assisted infrastructure projects. “Today’s meeting followed the signing of agreements between […]

June 09, 2010 (LBO) – Trade and economic links with Vietnam could grow fast if Hanoi sets up an embassy in Colombo to grease official clearances and visas, Sri Lankan businessmen told a visiting Vietnamese minister. The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce formed a Sri Lanka – Vietnam Business Council Tuesday in the presence of visiting […]

June 08, 2010 (LBO) – A top Sri Lankan exporter which is already doing business in India has backed the signing of a new deal to further open trade between the two countries, building on an existing ten-year-old agreement. However other exporters have had problems, with individual state taxes hitting them even if national import […]

June 05, 2010 (LBO) – India is ready to improve access for Sri Lankan goods and services to its markets by creating mechanisms like common standards and recognizing professional certifications, an Indian diplomat said. “Often, it is stated that the FTA did not address non-tariff barriers (NTBs) which restrict market access to India. Of course […]

June 05, 2010 (LBO) – A trade delegation from Vietnam headed by the country’s vice trade minister will visit Sri Lanka next week and also form a joint business council with the island’s Ceylon Chamber of Commerce. In the delegation would be representatives from Vietnam National Coal-Mineral Industries group, a mining, exploration mineral trading and […]

May 25, 2010 (AFP) – Hundreds of protesters took to the streets in the capital Colombo Tuesday demanding Sri Lanka’s government abandon a proposed trade pact with neighbouring India. President Mahinda Rajapakse met the demonstrators at his tightly-guarded Temple Trees residence in Colombo and vowed he would not enter any pact that was harmful to […]

May 26, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s increasingly strident protectionist business interests have staged an apparently successful protest in the capital Colombo against further liberalization of trade and services with India. The protest came ahead of a visit by India’s foreign secretary who was expected to push for a revival of a liberalization deal in […]

May 26, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s external trade expanded in March 2010 with imports growing 6. 5 percent to 1090 million US dollars and with exports growing 4. 8 percent to 662.7 million rupees and but apparel exports fell. In March apparel exports fell 9. 5 percent from a year earlier to 281 million […]

May 24, 2010 (LBO) – Indian and Sri Lankan companies should consider joint ventures that could make use of resources in both countries under a free trade deal between the two neighbours, a senior official said. Sarath Amunugama, deputy minister of finance and planning, said the 10-year free trade agreement should be deepened and expanded […]