The Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB), the host institution of the SheTrades Sri Lanka Hub, collaborated with the International Trade Centre (ITC) and the British High Commission in Colombo to launch two sector-specific export handbooks in Sinhala and Tamil. The handbooks aim to strengthen Sri Lankan women entrepreneurs and small and medium-sized enterprises’ (SMEs) export readiness to better access the United Kingdom (UK) market.
Focusing on the Textiles and Apparel (including women’s accessories, footwear, and handicrafts) and Processed Agrifood and Spices sectors, the resources provide guidance on the UK’s Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS), which offers duty-free access on about 92% of product lines exported from Sri Lanka to the UK, in addition to other trade benefits.
This initiative is implemented under the UK Government-funded SheTrades Commonwealth+ Programme, which focuses on improving the competitiveness, capacity and international market access of women entrepreneurs and women-led export-oriented businesses across Commonwealth countries.
The launch event was attended by UK’s Trade Envoy to Sri Lanka Lord Hannett of Everton, British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka H.E. Andrew Patrick, and Ministry of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Deputy Minister Hon. Chathuranga Abeysinghe, along with representatives from the EDB and entrepreneurs. Discussions during the event focused on strengthening export-led women entrepreneurship, expanding SME export opportunities and addressing challenges in accessing international markets.
Hon. Chathuranga Abeysinghe, Deputy Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development, welcomed the continued collaboration between the UK Government, ITC, and EDB in supporting Sri Lankan women entrepreneurs and SMEs. He noted that the UK remains an important trading partner for Sri Lanka and highlighted the opportunities available under the UK’s Developing Countries Trading Scheme. He further reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to strengthening the competitiveness, sustainability, and export readiness of local enterprises to enable greater participation in international markets.
“I would like to warmly congratulate the women entrepreneurs who will benefit from this program and express my sincere appreciation to the UK Government and the SheTrades initiative for creating this valuable opportunity. The UK’s Developing Countries Trading Scheme presents a golden opportunity for Sri Lankan enterprises to enter and scale within the UK market under preferential access arrangements,” said Hon. Chathurgange Abeysinghe, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development.
Speaking at the event, Lord Hannett highlighted the importance of trade support initiatives to ensure that entrepreneurs continue to benefit from international market opportunities. He noted that translating the export handbooks into local languages would help make valuable market information more accessible to entrepreneurs across Sri Lanka, enabling a wider range of businesses to better understand export requirements and opportunities in the UK market. With the zero-tariff access that the there is greater scope for Sri Lankan exporters to explore growth benefits from the access provided to the UK market.
The newly launched handbooks serve as practical guides to support women entrepreneurs and SMEs in navigating UK export market requirements, including procedures, regulatory compliance and market expectations. Providing this information in Sinhala and Tamil ensures improved accessibility and wider outreach among export-oriented entrepreneurs across Sri Lanka.
The handbooks are available for download via the EDB SheTrades Publications and Resources portal:
This event reflects the continued collaboration between EDB, ITC, the British High Commission in Colombo, and the UK Government under the SheTrades Sri Lanka Hub framework, reinforcing a shared commitment to advancing women entrepreneurship, strengthening SME exports, and promoting inclusive, export-led growth in Sri Lanka.
