Category: Trade

Oct 23, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lankan exporters are not making enough use of duty free access to the United States under its Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) programme, officials said. “It is necessary to educate our exporters about the duty free access to the US,” said Gomi Senadheera, Sri Lanka’s Director-General of Commerce. “There […]

BRUSSELS, October 19, 2009 (AFP) – Sri Lanka was threatened on Monday with losing preferential trading status with the European Union over human rights violations, the EU commission said Monday. A Sri Lankan foreign ministry statement said Colombo had blocked a team of experts from visiting “as a matter of principle”. The country’s textile industry […]

Oct 20, 2009 (LBO) – The Sri Lankan government said it will study a report by the European Union that said it was in breach of commitments on human rights that might cause it to lose a trade deal. The EC report said the Commission will now decide whether to propose a temporary withdrawal of […]

Oct 19, 2009 (LBO) – The European Union will decide whether or not to renew the GSP Plus trade deal with Sri Lanka giving duty free access to EU markets by early January 2010, a senior official said. Bernard Savage, EU head of delegation to Sri Lanka, said the EU investigation report was submitted to […]

Oct 14, 2009 (LBO) – A Hong Kong trade fair organiser offering Sri Lankan companies like clothing exporters a chance to participate in shows says foreign buyers are returning to the market although orders are smaller.“Because of cash flow problems caused by the financial crisis they are keeping orders small.” The main exports from Hong […]

Sept 28, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lankan exporters will get better access to the Chinese market in a new round of talks under a regional trade deal scheduled for completion in October, officials said.Sri Lanka will ask for more products to be covered in the fourth round of talks under the preferential trading arrangement, Asia-Pacific […]

Sept 25, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lankan exporters are not making use of lower import duty market access to China under a regional trade pact owing to lack of awareness and initiative, economists and trade officials said.The preferential trading arrangement, Asia-Pacific Trade Arrangement (APTA), previously called the Bangkok agreement, has helped increase trade between Sri […]

Sept 12, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka should resist calls by special interest groups to increase trade protection and reverse outward oriented policies amid the current downturn, an Australian based economist said. “We all know that the market economy of course combined with the rule of law and civil liberties have obvious advantages assuring tolerable […]

Aug 02, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka may lose lucrative trade concessions to the European Union as the results of an initial investigation on human rights abuses in the country was very adverse, a media report said. EU has banned the Tigers as terrorists but relations with the West deteriorated in the last stages of […]

Aug 23, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka has offered an industrial zone exclusively for Pakistan in a bid to promote inward investment from South Asian and Middle East regions, a media report said. Sayeed was quoted as saying that he will promote Pakistani firms to set up joint ventures in Sri Lanka and promote trade […]

Aug 05, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka will open a consulate in Chengdu, following the opening of a consulate in Shanghai, increasing the island’s diplomatic representation in China, the foreign ministry said. Foreign minister Rohitha Bogollagama who met visiting vice-governor of China’s Yunan province Gao Feng who was accompanied by a trade delegation. Minister Bogollagama […]

July 14, 2009 (LBO) – An international expert has warned Sri Lanka businesses to be more careful of their overseas partners and do background checks as trade fraud and risks grow in the wake of the global financial crisis. Companies engaged in international trade should not rely solely on banks to check the authenticity of […]