U.S. Looks to Boost Trade with Sri Lanka

In a joint statement issued after an April 28 meeting of the U.S.-Sri Lanka Trade and Investment Framework Council, the two sides said they had adopted a joint action plan aimed at significantly increasing bilateral trade and investment over five years. Objectives set forth in this plan include the following. - reforming Sri Lanka’s trade and investment regime to world-class standards improving the competitiveness of Sri Lanka’s current exports developing new markets, especially those that take advantage of Sri Lanka’s status as a regional services hub promoting greater interaction between the U.S. and Sri Lankan business communities greater utilization of U.S. tariff preference arrangements strengthening worker rights and promoting ethical and environmentally sustainable manufacturing practices, especially in Sri Lanka’s ready-made garment sector reforming the educational sector to make it more responsive to the needs of business increased mobilization of all sectors of society, especially women, in business and trade A detailed implementation plan is expected later this year. According to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, U.S. goods exports to Sri Lanka in 2015 totaled $372 million, up 6.2 percent from 2014, while imports rose 7.9 percent to $2.9 billion. U.S. foreign direct investment in Sri Lanka amounted to $111 million in 2014, 8.8 percent higher than the previous year.

USTR’s most recent trade barrier report cited a number of problematic policies in Sri Lanka, including a de facto ban on sales of agricultural products derived from biotechnology, import substitution policies, high import tariffs and other taxes on a large number of goods, price controls, and import licenses on more than 400 items.

Monday, May 02, 2016 Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg

Trade Report - - - - - - - 6. Services of well connected professional advocates, often lawyers who have the access to various powerful networks are hired, to argue for specific legislation in decision-making bodies like the United States Congress and this is the standard practice in the USA. ST&R being a prominent trade services provider with multifaceted experience in engaging in assisting governments to pursue economic growth through enhancing opportunities of trade has been properly assessed by Sri Lankan Embassy in the USA. The previous engagement of the firm ST&R is considered an added qualification. In view of the above facts, I inform Parliament that the baseless interpretations given in the above paper article is false and such information seriously misleads the public.

Hon Speaker, I am also a strong advocate of Media Freedom. However, the media should not abuse this freedom. Before allegations are made against Politicians, Public Officers and even Businessmen, they should be contacted and clarification obtained before damaging & inaccurate articles are published.

RESPONSE; This brings us back to our earlier response as to why the Government needs to hire a lobby firm in the US to do the work of the embassy there when all these world leaders praise Sri Lanka’s new leaders. Is this an admission that what the Government claims is merely self-aggrandizement and that it still needs lobby firms to get a job done in the US.

Minister Samarawickrama has not told the country who these people are who run the firm hired by his Ministry, Sandler, Travis and Rosenburg PAC (ST&R). And if he knows any one of them, himself.