Sri Lanka to seek further tariff cut from US before deadline
July 13, 2025 07:35 pm
The Chairman of the Export Development Board (EDB), Mangala Wijesinghe, stated that discussions will be held with the United States before August 01, in an effort to obtain further relief from the 30% reciprocal tariffs imposed on goods exported from Sri Lanka.
He added that the local delegation participating in these discussions will be announced in due course.
During a meeting held yesterday (July 12) at the Presidential Secretariat with all stakeholders in the export sector, and with the participation of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, Wijesinghe also noted that the Sri Lankan delegation is scheduled to leave for the United States within the next two weeks to engage in the negotiations.
The EDB Chairman further stated that the import of American goods will also be addressed during the discussions.
On July 9, Sri Lanka was officially informed that the United States would impose a 30% reciprocal tariff on all goods imported from the country. The White House issued an official letter to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake confirming the decision.
The initial 44% tariff, announced on April 2, came with a grace period for implementation. That grace period ended on July 9, and the new 30% tariff is scheduled to take effect on August 1, 2025.
In response, Sri Lanka has decided to initiate further negotiations before the August 01 deadline in an effort to secure further tariff concessions.
