- Negotiations
Sri Lanka has preferential and free trade agreements with India, Pakistan, Iran, Egypt, Singapore and Israel. It is currently in the processing of upgrading its agreement with India to a much more comprehensive one.
Sri Lanka is also party to SAFTA, the agreement on a South Asia Free Trade Area, as well as BIMSTEC, which aims to hammer out a regional FTA.
last update: May 2012
Photo: Sri Lankan engineers’ association
14-Feb-2014
Reuters
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.
21-Jan-2014
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.
26-Nov-2013
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.
23-Sep-2013
The Nation
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
19-Jul-2013
The Hindu
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.
10-Jul-2013
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.
21-May-2013
Lanka Web
The first ever international Free Trade Agreement entered by Sri Lanka has boosted its exports to its partnering country by no less than 16 times-and overall trade volumes grew by eight fold.
22-Sep-2012
Amidst continuing opposition from professionals and businessmen to the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with India, the Sri Lankan government is now shifting gears to strengthening the Indo-Lanka Free Trade Agreement (FTA), a top government official said.
17-Sep-2012
Business Standard
The development assumes importance as Sri Lanka did not show positive response to India’s offer to expand FTA between two countries to Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement
24-Aug-2012
Sri Lanka has apparently informed Indian authorities it was not keen on having a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with India, as it feared granting more Indian access to its markets would destroy that country’s domestic industry. However, it has made its own set of fresh demands to consider under the Free Trade Agreement (FTA), which is under operation since March 2000.
