Category: Trade

Mar 16, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Tea Board is investigating complaints by an exporter that certain teas sold in Europe as pure Ceylon tea are actually blended with teas from other origins, officials said. Zarook alleged that his competitors in Germany were competing on price because they were mixing Ceylon tea with Vietnamese tea […]

Mar 13, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka is expected to re-erect an import barrier soon to keep cheaper rice out of the reach of the island’s consumers, but the country’s 25 rupee a kilo duty is too high, consumer affairs minister Bandula Gunewardene said. “I personally think the duty of 25 rupees on a kilo […]

Mar 11, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lankan importers will get an opportunity to present documents electronically to the customs by the middle of the year, the head of the Customs Department said. Sarath Jayatilleke, director-general of Customs, said the department would shift to a more advanced electronic data interchange system by June or July. “We […]

Mar 10, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka is sending a high level delegation of senior government officials to save a preferential trade deal which is due end later in 2010 and broader relations with the European Union, a senior minister said. “On our part we are eager to engage with the international community,” international trade […]

SYDNEY, February 23, 2010 (AFP) – Australian colleges catering to foreign students will face more rigorous regulation by year’s end as the government weeds out unscrupulous operators, the education minister said Tuesday. Under a bill passed Monday, all colleges and schools providing courses to international students will have to re-register with the government under strengthened […]

Feb 16, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s exports grew 6.4 percent to 723.4 million dollars in December 2009 exceeding those of the year before for the first time as a recovery which began in April gathered steam, the Central Bank said. But there was strong growth in mineral exports, mainly gems. Lower exports of petroleum […]

Feb 16, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka is to start test runs on extending to several government agencies a long-delayed automated documentation system for trade that allows cargo to be cleared electronically, officials said. We appeal to all other government departments to follow the Tea Board, said Athukorala. Tea exporters are saving 2.50 dollars per […]

Feb 15, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka intends to cut automated tea export document processing charges, reducing costs for shippers of the island’s main export commodity and making them more competitive, officials said. Sri Lanka’s electronic export documentation project is, however, years behind schedule and exporters say the island is far behind other trading nations […]

BRUSSELS, February 5, 2010 (AFP) – EU nations have decided to suspend Sri Lanka’s preferential trade status because of the island’s human rights record and will make the formal move later this month, officials said Friday. “European ambassadors have taken the decision. The EU Commission’s investigation showed Sri Lanka has not demonstrated that it has […]

Jan 20, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s exports fell 5.0 percent in December from a year earlier, with industrial exports falling 12.2 percent, though agricultural exports were up 23.7 percent, the Central Bank said. During the 11 months to November exports were down 14.7 percent to 6,361.1 million US dollars, imports were down 31. 9 […]

Jan 05, 2010 (LBO) – Tea imports for re-export by Sri Lanka, a major exporter, fell sharply last year as opposition by producers to importing teas remained strong, Tea Board and industry officials said. Tea Board officials said pressure by the producer sector on the regulator led to more stringent checks on imported teas which […]

Jan 04, 2010 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Central Bank is setting up an export-import bank to fast-track Sri Lanka’s international trade, governor Nivard Cabraal said. The proposed ˜ex-im bank’ will have an initial capital of 200 million rupees and may be financed by both government and commercial sources. “It will provide financial assistance to exporters […]