The Hon. Bimal Rathnayake
The Hon. Bimal Rathnayake referred to a British High Commission news alert on new UK trade measures allowing Sri Lankan apparel and other goods tariff-free access under liberalized rules of origin. He said he would table material on how other countries had secured relief from US tariffs, noting that some had offered significant concessions such as aircraft purchases. He urged a national, serious approach to trade negotiations, acknowledged the work of the Minister, officials, and industry organizations, and called for any debate on the matter to provide equal opportunity to both sides.
Verbatim record (translated)
Machine-translated from Sinhala / Tamil / English¶ 01 Mr. Deputy Speaker, a news alert from a media organization states: “The UK has introduced new trade measures including liberalized rules of origin for governments, allowing Sri Lankan apparel and other goods to enter the UK market tariff-free, boosting trade and economic growth.” It says this was issued by the British High Commission. In every crisis, opportunities also arise.
¶ 02 I will table a printout detailing how countries have obtained relief regarding US tariffs. Also, some countries receiving lower tariffs from the US have done so after offering sizable benefits such as large aircraft purchases. Let us appreciate good work by the Minister, officials, and trade and manufacturers’ organizations. Rather than immature talk of “going to Trump’s house to have tea and fix it,” let us address this nationally and, if a debate is allowed, give equal opportunity to both sides.
Provenance
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- Hansard, Friday, 11 July 2025 ·No. 1753082553092748 ·English daily/uncorrected Hansard
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Cite as: The Hon. Bimal Rathnayake. 10th Parliament, Parliament of Sri Lanka. Hansard, 11 July 2025. No. 1753082553092748. Politick, https://staging.politick.io/lk/speeches/21067