Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka says a free trade agreement between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh could boost current levels of bilateral trade by seven-fold and such a FTA is in the works.
The proposed free trade agreement between Sri Lanka and China is to be signed in June 2015, and not end 2014, Sri Lankan government officials have said.
Sri Lanka and the United States inked a joint trade and investment agreement on Wednesday in Colombo.
The Pakistan Automotive Manufacturers Association (PAMA) has urged the Pakistan government to put automobiles and auto parts in the negative list of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Sri Lanka to safeguard Pakistani manufacturers against the entry of cheaper Indian products manufactured in Lanka.
Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have begun exploring the possibility of a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the two countries, the Industries and Commerce Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.
During Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to the island this week, the two sides will launch negotiations on a China-Sri Lanka free trade agreement.
Sri Lanka will focus on increasing trade and investment with China as well as broadening the scope of a proposed Free Trade Agreement (FTA), a top official said on Tuesday.
The possibility of a first ever official trade agreement with one of the most discerning Asian suppliers to Sri Lanka has edged closer to reality.
Pakistan, Sri Lanka’s second largest trade partner in the region, has indicated interest in expanding its free trade agreement (FTA) trade with the island, creating growth in bilateral trade, which already exceeds the US $ 460 million mark, according to Sri Lanka’s trade ministry.
Sri Lanka and China have completed the joint feasibility study for establishing a free trade agreement between the two countries and will push ahead with signing it before the end of the year, a statement from the Finance Ministry said on Thursday.
China and Sri Lanka could sign a free trade agreement by the end of the year, state news agency Xinhua cited Sri Lanka’s foreign minister as saying, a move that will help cement Colombo’s growing economic and diplomatic ties with Beijing.
The feasibility study on the highly-anticipated Sri Lanka-China Free Trade Agreement (FTA) is underway and due to be completed by March with eventual signing of the deal slated for before end 2014, an official said here on Thursday.
Efforts to drive the Sri Lankan apparel sector into a new growth phase may hinge on the success of the potential free trade agreement (FTA) in the offing with China, according to Joint Apparel Association Forum (JAAF) Secretary General Tuli Cooray.
Sri Lanka’s second largest trade partner in SAARC, Pakistan, is hungry for more Lankan exports in the coming year-while also closely looking at Sri Lanka’s sugar sector for entry.
Despite the adverse impact on local industries, the Government has allowed tariff-free imports on ten categories of Indian goods, which had hitherto remained in the negative list under the Indo-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement, Daily Mirror learns.
The proposed free trade agreement between Sri Lanka and China, which is slated to be inked this November ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, is a ‘wakeup call’ for the country’s exporters, Chairman of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce says
China is keen to sign a free trade agreement with Sri Lanka. This was conveyed to Sri Lankan leaders including prime minister DM Jayaratne on Tuesday by senior Communist leader Liu Yunshan during his ongoing visit to Colombo, according to the official news agency Xinhua.
Sri Lanka will not need the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with India any longer, as both countries had moved on, said Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa.
Promotion of trade among SAARC countries is one of the top priorities of the government, said Federal Minister for Finance Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar talking to Air Chief Marshal Jayalath Weerakkody High Commissioner of Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka’s main business Chamber urges the government to fast track the signing of the Comprehensive Partnership Agreement with India and also sign more trade deals to avoid over-dependance on one country for exports.
