Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will dismantle all non-tariff barriers blocking trade between the countries, as a first step to a Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA).
ldblquote The two countries decided last week in Dhaka, to dismantle all non tariff barriers with immediate effect, dblquote said Secretary, Ministry of Commerce, Harsha Wickramasinghe.rn
rnThe identification and removal of non-tariff barriers before a formal trade agreement, is expected to speed up implementation and trade efficiency of an eventual trade pact.rn
rnldblquote Exporters and importers face delays and inconveniences because of slow inspection procedures, certification and standard requirements, but this can be reduced significantly if the two countries coordinate at an early stage, dblquote Wickramasinghe said.rn
rnSri Lanka and Bangladesh began PTA talks in November last year and are due for a second round of negotiations this month.rn
rnMeanwhile the two countries are compiling a selected list of items called lquote ea