Sri Lanka, China to close free-trade deal

Gulf News - 17/09/2013

Sri Lanka and China will finalise a free-trade agreement ahead of a Commonwealth summit in Colombo in November, a government minister said on Tuesday.

The two sides have been hammering out details of the duty-free goods under the deal, Investment Promotion Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena told reporters in Colombo.

China has been investing heavily in Sri Lanka, with loans and expertise instrumental in building ports, highways, railways and power plants in the Indian Ocean nation.

Sri Lanka plans to export salt from Hambantota Port

Colombo Page - 17/09/2013

Sri Lanka, expecting a bigger salt harvest this year from the country's salterns, plans to export the excess salt.

The Chairman of Lanka Salts Ltd., Pradeep Wijesiriwardana has said that there will be excess salt when the salterns at Elephant Pass produce salts and the excess can then be exported.

Wijesiriwardana has said that the plans are already underway to export the excess production from the Hambantota port.

Increase in tea export earnings

Daily News - 13/09/2013
by Indunil Hewage

Sri Lanka's total quantity of tea exported including re-exports with imported tea for July reached to 29.88 million /kg, indicating a gain of 3.34 million/kg compared to the corresponding period in 2012.

The cumulative tea export earnings rose to Rs 17.76 billion, showing a slight gain of Rs 2.77 billion as against the same period last year with the increase in FOB (Free on Board) price per kg from Rs 564.92 to Rs.594.50, according to a tea market report.

Cumulative exports including re-exports with imported Tea for the period January to July 2013 recorded 174.25 million /kg, a decline of 7.82 million /kg in comparison to same period last year.

First Indo-Lanka textile agreement inked in Colombo

As the first ever textile agreement between India and Sri Lanka became a reality, both neighbours mulled joining to enter a coveted global textile foothold-China, the world’s largest textile market. “China’s textiles are gradually moving from production to consumption. Using our strengths together-Sri Lanka’s first class garment manufacturing infrastructure and India’s quality fabric outputs-let us jointly compete for China’s textile market” said a determined Ms Zohra Chaterji (Secretary of Indian Ministry of Textiles) on 09 September in Colombo.

 Ms Chaterji was addressing Anura Siriwardena (Secretary, Ministry of Industry and Commerce of Sri Lanka) on 09 September at Cinnamon Grand during her delegation’s official meeting with Sri Lanka’s delegation after the signing the first ever MoU between India and Sri Lanka on the same day at Galadari Hotel, Colombo earlier. During the successful Cinnamon Grand meeting, officials from both sides discussed in depth, of the modalities of the morning MoU and how to move forward and implement it in the coming months and agreed on the immediate next steps.

Sri Lanka excels at 82nd Izmir International Fair in Turkey……

 

Sri Lanka, the first ever country in Asia has been offered the “Partner Country” status at the 82nd Izmir International Fair, the oldest Trade Exhibition in Turkey.  Sri Lanka’s participation promoted Sri Lanka as a reliable destination for trade investment & tourism and showcased the best that the island paradise has to offer,   under the theme “Sri Lanka -Wonder of Asia”.  This theme is in line with the Mahinda Chinthanaya,  vision of the President of Sri Lanka who has given the leadership to initiate a grand scheme of progress and development in the country.

Radical new boat ‘will significantly boost Sri Lanka’s tuna exports’

Sunday Times - 08/09/2013

By Nick Hart

Pic shows a ‘test-bed’ vessel on which the tuna boat is based under construction at the Viksund yard

Negombo – A radical new, locally built high-speed catamaran fishing boat is poised to significantly boost the number of top-price tuna available for export from Sri Lanka to markets in Japan, China and the Middle East.

It will also help ensure tuna sustainability in Sri Lankan waters by reducing by up 70 per cent the number of fish needed to be caught in order to ensure maximum profitability.

Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development has expressed keen interest in the new vessel, which will help put the country at the forefront of next-generation fishing-boat development.

Dutch biz in town

Asian Tribune - 06/09/2013

Buddhi Athauda (Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the Netherlands-far right) and Dr Yousuf Maraikkar (Executive Director-EDB) engage the visiting members of the Dutch biz delegation at Hotel Mt Lavinia on 04 September.

Dutch biz are bullish on Sri Lanka’s emergent prospects. “Sri Lanka’s historic links with the Netherlands have entered a new era. This strong business and investment delegation is the latest sign” said an upbeat Buddhi Athauda (Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the Netherlands) on 04 September in Mt. Lavinia.

Ambassador Athauda was addressing the inaugural event of the visiting Netherlands business and trade delegation to Sri Lanka on 04 September held at Mt Lavinia Hotel, Mt Lavinia. The delegation, which is on a week-long tour in Sri Lanka, and which arrived on same day (04 September) in Colombo, consisted of reps from such leading Dutch firms as JIMPP Media, Abos, Defteq International BV, Beursgenoten, Fleurons & Prins, Velema Holdings, and Zonel Energy Systems.

EDB facilitated presentations from various Lankan private sector firms-including Ceylon Tea, and Tourism- were made to the visiting delegation on 04 September at the Mt. Lavinia Hotel, followed by a successful B2B session between Dutch and Lankan biz that continued throughout the afternoon. Jimpp Media BV, a business programme producer is also part of the delegation. Ron Abdoelhafiezkhan, a well-known Dutch talk show host and a TV producer as well as JIMPP’s leading producer Ms Juliette Iperen with her TV crew are also in the delegation. The JIMPP TV crew is scheduled to start shooting for two half hour segments on Sri Lanka’s new developments, to be televised in Netherlands.