Safeguarding and promoting Sri Lanka's economic, trade & commercial interests at multilateral fora through effective representation and participation at discussions and negotiations at all levels (i.e., decision making and technical) at the World Trade Organization (WTO) and liaising & cooperating with likeminded WTO member countries to form common positions on issues of significant interest to Sri Lanka.
Conducting negotiations to secure market access by gaining tariff concessions under non-reciprocal preferential trade agreements such as Generalized Systems of Preferences (GSPs) for Sri Lanka’s exports.
Execute at Regional Level
Conducting negotiations to secure preferential market access for Sri Lanka’s exports under regional reciprocal trade agreements, such as, Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) and Regional Trading Arrangements (RTAs).
Agreements under negotiation are as follows.
Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC). Countries involved: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand
Execute at Bilateral Level
Conducting negotiations to secure preferential market access for Sri Lanka’s exports under bilateral reciprocal trade agreements, such as, Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) and Regional Trading Arrangements (RTAs).
Agreements under negotiation are as follows.
China Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement (CSFTA)
Economic and Technology Cooperation Agreement with India (ETCA)
Overseas Commercial Representation: The Commercial Representation comprises of 33 DOC officers serving in 31 Sri Lanka Missions aboard in 28 countries, who are engaged in promoting and safeguarding Sri Lanka’s commercial and economic interests in the host countries.
Organizing/coordinating Joint Commissions /Working Groups and Trade & Investment Framework Agreements (TIFAs)
Monitor market access related developments, both in tariff and non-tariff nature including Non- Tariff Measures (NTMs) and Non- Tariff Barriers (NTBs) in main foreign export markets and take coordinated actions by making effective & adequate representations, with at bilateral, regional & multilateral levels for mitigating or eliminating the negative impact of such measures, together with complying with NTMs on Sri Lanka’s exports.
Initiate coordinated actions to address specific market entry technical barriers to trade (TBT) in the import markets by formulating requisite technical regulations/ standards/conformity assessment procedures at national level and obtaining approval/endorsement from the Regional /International Standard setting bodies.
Expeditious issuance of COOs to facilitate exports under the following preferential schemes and regional, bilateral and free trade agreements.
Generalized System of Preference (GSP)
Global system of Trade Preference (GSTP)
SAARC Preferential Trading Agreement (SAPTA)
South-Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA)
Indo-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement (ISFTA)
Pakistan-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement (PSFTA)
Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement (APTA)
Advising and guiding exporters on becoming eligible for Certificates of Origin (COOs) under FTA, including consultations on rules of origin, production, procedural requirements, etc.
Hosting of “Sri Lanka Trade Information Portal” with up-to-date information related to export and import procedures of 41 organizations, which disseminates all the requirements they need to comply with to import or export a specific good from and into Sri Lanka, in response to a single query.
Assistance to resolve trade complaints between a foreign party and a Sri Lankan party through amicable means.
Analyzing & compiling responses of defense when Sri Lanka’s exports are subject to countervailing duty & safeguard investigations initiated by the importing countries and guiding and assisting the exporters to compile their responses of defense.
Conducting awareness seminars/workshops on market access opportunities available under FTAs, RTAs, GSPs and various markets, where Commercial Officers are stationed.
Organizing training programs/ workshops with foreign resource personnel in Colombo and in regional cities on the topics related to new developments in international trade and WTO agreements.
Dissemination of information on market access related developments, in periodic or random nature, both tariff and non-tariff measures in nature in the overseas markets and analyzing the impact of such measures on Sri Lanka’s exports, including advocacy for addressing supply side constraints.
Conducting research on market access for existing and potential Sri Lankan products.
Recommendation for Residence Visas for Non- BOI related foreign operators.
Declaration of Credit Agencies under the Mortgage Act.
