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UK expert to inaugurate handloom design program

2014-06-30

UK expert to inaugurate handloom design program

A programme on ‘Design Development for Sri Lanka’s Handlooms’ will take place at the Export Development Board auditorium today, June 30 at 9.30am.

It will be inaugurated by International Design Expert Ms Jennifer Shellard of the United Kingdom.

Sri Lanka's handloom textile industry is centuries old, the 6th century BC according to Mahavansa, when Prince Vijaya from India landed at Manthota (Mannar) in Sri Lanka. History records that when he found Kuveni, whom he eventually married, she was spinning yarn. And that tradition continues to the present era as weaving handloom textiles.

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EDB Starts Work On Latest Global Market Fair Trade Call

2014-06-25

EDB Starts Work On Latest Global Market Fair Trade Call

As Fairtrade becomes the latest sales driver in international markets, Sri Lanka has stepped up its efforts to meet the new standard. A promising Lankan export niche has become the successful testing ground for Sri Lanka’s entry into global Fairtrade certification regime – and the EDB, which leads the initiative, has received encouraging feedback from many – including a global consultant on Fairtrade.

“I am impressed of Sri Lanka’s craft makers and exporters. Their products are of high quality,” said a satisfied Paul Myers, the visiting USAID/VEGA Fairtrade Expert on 19 June at EDB, Colombo.

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AWARENESS SEMINAR/WORKSHOP ON FRUITS & VEGETABLES FOR THE EXPORT MARKET-NCP

2014-06-25

AWARENESS SEMINAR/WORKSHOP ON FRUITS & VEGETABLES FOR THE EXPORT MARKET-NCP

The North Western Provincial office of the Sri Lanka Export Development Board, successfully conducted the awareness seminar/workshop on fruits & vegetables for the export market on 24th March 2014 in Anuradhapura with the participation of 115 fruits & vegetable farmers in North Central Province. The programme was organized by NWP-EDB with the assistance of Department of Agriculture, National Plant Quarantine Service and Lanka Fruits & Vegetable Producers, Processors & Exporters Association.

The main objective of conducting this seminar was to increase the capacity of Fruits & Vegetable farmers in the North Central Province by way of enhancing Technical/Market awareness and facilitating linkages between farmers and exporters in order to develop consolidated supply base of quality fruits & vegetables for exports from Regions.

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Sri Lanka Shines at 2nd China-South Asia Expo in Kunming

2014-06-24

Sri Lanka Shines at 2nd China-South Asia Expo in Kunming

The Sri Lanka Export Development Board (SLEDB) in collaboration with the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Beijing organised the Sri Lanka Pavilion at the 2nd China-South Asia Expo in Kunming, China from 6 to 10 June with the participation of 135 Sri Lankan companies, displaying and promoting Sri Lankan product sectors such as gems and jewellery, tea, batik, handicraft, coir products, Ayurvedic products and giftware.

Minister of Industry and Commerce Rishad Bathiudeen ceremonially opened the Sri Lanka Pavilion at the expo and delivered the keynote address at the 9th China-South Asia Business Forum held on the sidelines of the 2nd China-South Asia Expo.

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Dutch Push For Lanka’s Hi-tech Exports

2014-06-23

Dutch Push For Lanka’s Hi-tech Exports

Sri Lanka is leveraging ICT exports to achieve its $20 B goal of 2020. And a new support initiative by the Netherlands is set to elevate Lankan software exporters to latest tech developments. “The government is highly focused on ICT sector as a forex earner and export driver. We cannot ignore ICT if we are to achieve any progress” said Bandula Egodage (Chairman/CEO of EDB) on 19 June in Colombo.

Chairman Egodage was addressing the two day-hands on interactive session “Website Enhancement and Online Marketing ITO/BPO” organised by the EDB for Sri Lankan software manufacturing and export firms. The first ever such hands-on initiative moved by EDB was facilitated by Netherlands’ CBI (Centre for the Promotion of Imports from developing countries)-an agency of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands. Joost vander Kooij and Onno Roukens, the two CBI professional consultants who specially arrived from the Netherlands to train the companies in the session helped the more than 25 Lankan participants of the session on a one-to-one basis. Among the ICT giants taking part were John Keells Computer Services, hSenid Business Solutions, 99X Technologies, Cyber Concepts, SewEasy, E-Nowave, InfoMate, Calcey Technologies, Pyxle, Allion Technologies, Dinota Information Technologies, Sanje, i-Context Content Convergence, Four Corners, Akio Information Technologies, Data Management Systems, Lanka Communication Services, E Marketing Eye, and Perfect Business Solution Services.

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Export Earnings Increase in April, Rupee Stable

2014-06-23

Export Earnings Increase in April, Rupee Stable

Sri Lanka’s external sector strengthened further in April 2014, with continued foreign currency inflows in the form of earnings from exports, tourism, workers’ remittances, as well as inflows to the financial account, the Central Bank said on Friday.
The trade deficit continued to narrow during the first four months of 2014 as a result of healthy growth in exports. The contraction of the trade deficit and higher inflows to services and income accounts contributed to reducing the current account deficit. These developments, together with inflows to the financial account have resulted in a higher surplus in the BOP by end April 2014, compared to the corresponding period of 2013,the Bank said.

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Sri Lanka's Fish Export Up By 20% in 2014 1Q

2014-06-19

Sri Lanka's Fish Export Up By 20% in 2014 1Q

Fish and fishery product sector plays an important role in Sri Lanka’s Social and economic life. The Sector contributes about 2.7% to country’s GDP.End of the civil unrest detained three decades in the country, fisheries sector has a significant scope to increase the level of contribution through exploiting high seas for tuna fishing & value addition.

Sri Lanka’s main fishery export products include tuna, fresh chilled and frozen form, shrimps & prawns, crabs and lobsters.Other than the above shark fins, fish maws, beche-de-mer, cuttle fish & squid, sprats are also exports mostly to the Asian markets. United Kingdom is the main market for Sri Lankan tuna followed by France, Italy, Netherlands, Germany etc.

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SL Apparel Industry in a Global Context and Future Fortunes

2014-06-17

SL Apparel Industry in a Global Context and Future Fortunes

The Sri Lankan apparel trade today is well renowned around the world to be the most cutting-edge and innovative when it comes to apparel manufacturing.

With a very long history of manufacturing in the island and throughout the challenges which this industry has faced to this day, the garment manufacturing  stands much stronger than it has been ever before where the exports from this industry within a year increased by 11 percent (which was the biggest increase annually in 2013 compared with initial years) and by end November 2013 the exports earnings from this industry in Sri Lanka stood at US $2.876 billion, which is a substantial amount of foreign exchange bought into the country by a single industry.

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EDB PAVILION AT FACETS SRI LANKA 2014

2014-06-03

EDB PAVILION AT FACETS SRI LANKA 2014

An ideal opportunity for SMEs

The Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB) will be organizing a special pavilion at FACETS SRI LANKA – International Gem & Jewellery Show 2014 to be held at the Sirimavo Bandaranaike Memorial Exhibition Center from 04th to 07th September 2014.

Objective The objective of organizing this special pavilion is to give an opportunity for the SME Gem & Jewellery manufacturers to showcase their products and make use of the event as a platform for them to enter into the international market.

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Rise in coconut product exports

2014-06-03

Rise in coconut product exports

Sri Lanka’s coconut related exports increased by 86 percent during the first quarter of this year compared to 2011, Coconut Development and Janatha Estate Development Ministry sources said yesterday.

The Coconut Development and Janatha Estate Development Ministry was established in 2011 as a new Cabinet ministry. According to ministry statistics, during the first quarter of this year, Sri Lanka earned over Rs. 5,090 million from coconut related products, an 88 percent increase from the same period in 2011.

In the first quarter of 2011 it was Rs. 2,115 million. It increased annually and the total coconut related products export revenue in 2013 stood at Rs. 44,952 million. Sri Lanka exports 35 coconut related products to 135 countries.

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Pakistan likely to expand FTA trade with Sri Lanka

2014-06-02

Pakistan likely to expand FTA trade with Sri Lanka

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.

In a statement the ministry said that Pakistan’s High Commissioner Qasim Qureshi had indicated that his country looks forward to expand FTA trade by reducing sensitive items, thereby creating more opportunities for Lankan exporters.

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