Sri Lanka's Apex Organisation for Export Promotion
Despite global and local challenges, Sri Lanka’s merchandised and service exports have risen by 11.4% to $ 8.5 billion in the first half of this year, prompting the Government to attribute it to a series of development efforts and assure further support. Releasing the latest yet provisional data, Development Strategies and International Trade Minister Malik Samarawickrama said yesterday that export sector performance was commendable, though he admitted there is significant scope for higher value. “The 11.4% growth, despite the impact of the October 2018 undemocratic constitutional coup, and the Easter Sunday tragedy, as well as global challenges, is very satisfactory. For the first time, three months of first half of 2019 - January, March and June - have produced over $ 1 billion worth of merchandised exports. We had originally set an ambitious $ 20 billion target for 2019, but we may miss it and end up at around $ 18.5 billion, which will be still higher than the $ 16 billion achieved last year,” Samarawickrama said.
A delegation led by Hon. Nalin Bandara, Deputy Minister of Development Strategies & International Trade comprising officials from both the public and private sector visited United Arab Emirates (UAE) and met several important trade partners in the UAE. The delegation had very fruitful discussions with the Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Sharjah Chamber of Commerce & Industry as well as Al-Maya Group and the Lulu Supermarket International.
Sri Lanka is now officially an approved participant at the World Expo 2020 Dubai as the Government of Sri Lanka signed the Official Participation Contract with the "Dubai Expo 2020 Bureau” on 08th July 2019. The high level delegation to the UAE for the Contract signing Ceremony was led by Hon. Nalin Bandara, Deputy Minister of Development Strategies & International Trade. Ms. Indira Malwatte, Chairperson & Chief Executive, Sri Lanka Export Development Board as the Commissioner General for Sri Lanka of Expo 2020 Dubai, signed the Official Participation Contract on behalf of Sri Lanka with Mr. Najeeb Mohammed Al-Ali, Executive Director of Dubai Expo 2020 Bureau in the presence of Hon. Nalin Bandara, Deputy Minister of Development Strategy and International Trade.
The Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB) has been conducting the Exporters’ Forum since its inception from late 70s. The EDB has identified the need of a common platform to discuss and resolve the issues faced by the exporter community in Sri Lanka in order to facilitate exporters to overcome constraints arising from policy and operational issues created by various institutes that regulate, operate, and facilitate cross border trade. The EDB as the nation’s prime institute to facilitate export development created this mechanism to enable exporters to submit their issues to the highest levels of state institutions that cannot be reached easily by a trader. The unique feature of the Exporters’ Forum is the participation of the private sector and the public sector to resolve issues, with the political leadership represented by the relevant minister together with direct ministry-level interventions providing solutions to address those issues.
The Sri Lanka visiting delegation to Dubai for signing of Official Participation Contract of Expo 2020 Dubai has met with Mr. Kamal Vachani, Group Director of Al Maya Group, a main Super Market Chain in United Arab Emirates. The Sri Lanka delegation for the meeting was led by Ms. Indira Malwatte, Chairperson & Chief Executive of Sri Lanka Export Development Board. Mr. Chaitha Yattogoda, Consul General of Sri Lanka in Dubai was also present for the meeting together with other private and public sector delegates.
Sri Lanka is the leading exporter of true cinnamon to the world and holds almost 80% of the global pure cinnamon market. However, the exporters of Ceylon Cinnamon to the world market, particularly within the European Union (EU) and North American markets, are facing rising competition from substitutes such as Cassia and other varieties of cinnamon supplied by Madagascar and the Seychelles.
The Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB) is planning to hold the 23rd Presidential Export Awards Ceremony under the patronage of President Maithripala Sirisena on 19 September at the BMICH
The Expo 2020 Dubai is a global trade exposition showcasing strengths, capabilities and innovation of over 180 countries and set to host over 25 million visitors from across the globe. Set to be one of the largest events ever to be staged in the Arab world and the first of its kind across the Middle East, Africa and Asia, the World Expo is one of the longest standing and largest international events to take place in the world.
The Eighth seminar for the Ratnapura District entrepreneurs on the national program of developing 2000 New Exporters was held on June 07, 2019 at the Kethumathi Hotel, Ratnapura,
Transforming Sri Lanka into the hub of the Indian Ocean, with a knowledge-based, highly competitive and social-market economyis the objective of the Vision 2025 policy document of the Government.Making the transistion to anexport, FDI and tourism orientedcountry is the only optionfor Sri Lanka to create better jobs for the youth of our country and to graduate to a higher income economy.
As per the instructions of the Hon. Malik Samarawickrama, Minister of Development Strategies and International Trade, Export Development Board organized a meeting with the key Exporters and Investors on Friday 03rd May 2019 at the 3rd Floor Auditorium to discuss the current situation of the country.
Sri Lanka’s share in the global export market and the contribution of exports to the national GDP has been in decline whereas imports to the country is in the increase. Further exports are dependent on imported inputs therefore, it is noted that the gap between export and import has been continuously increasing.
2019-03-06/ http://www.ft.lk/business/National-program-to-develop-2000-new-exporters-by-the-year-2020/34-674061
The seventh seminar for the Vavuniya, Mullaitivu and Mannar District entrepreneurs on the national program of developing 2000 new exporters was held on 1 March at the Vavuniya district secretariat conference hall.
The Embassy of Sri Lanka in Brazil successfully organised a three-day trade and tourism promotional event in Sao Paulo, the commercial capital of Brazil, from 20 to 22 February. The event drew the interest of a large number of prominent Brazilian importers, trade consultants, officials of trade associations, travel journalists and travel trade industries based in Sao Paulo.
The World Expo is one of the oldest and largest international events taking place every 5 years and lasting for 6 month where everyone can learn, innovate and create progress by sharing ideas and working together through a common theme. United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been selected as the host country for the forthcoming event to be held in year 2020. This World Expo will be held for a period of six months from 20th October 2020 to 10th April 2021 in Dubai under the theme “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future”. The World Expo in Dubai in 2020 will be the first to be held in the MENA & SA (Middle East and North Africa & South Asia Region.
The National Export Strategy (NES) is progressing in the right direction. It has six focused areas and is expected to provide the impetus for the export drive supporting economic growth, Chairperson of the Export Development Board (EDB), Indira Malwatte said.
UAE is blessed with a strategic location between the East and West, which makes it accessible to major emerging economies, linking shipping routes and facilitating goods' transportation between the various regions in Middle East, Asia, Europe and Africa. Understanding the preciousness of the location, the business community has launched GULFOOD Food & Beverage exhibition in 1987 in Dubai and the exhibition has grown to promote F&B trade between more than 180 countries annually. In 2018 Gulfood set records with 97,000 visitors attending and over 5000 companies from over 185 different countries exhibiting their products.
Sri Lanka needs to make greater efforts to get into the US market using the United States Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) scheme as a tool while ensuring that buyers are aware of GSP, said Dr. Fredrik Leuhusen from the School of Management at the University of California, Los Angeles.
2019-01-21/ http://www.dailynews.lk/2019/01/22/business/175019/edb-seeks-green-light-quarantine-authorities-china
Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB) has made a formal request to the Quarantine Authorities of China for obtaining quarantine clearance for in a bid to support Sri Lankan Agri-entrepreneurs in gaining new ground in China’s organic market.
Sri Lanka’s merchandise and service exports in 2018 are estimated to have hit an all-time high of $ 17 billion, up 15% from a year earlier prompting the Government to be confident of achieving the $20 billion milestone this year.
