The Hon. (Dr.) Anil Jayantha - Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Economic Development
The Minister clarified that the US trade measure was part of a general global policy based on a common formula tied to trade gaps, not a bilateral tariff decision targeting Sri Lanka. He said Sri Lanka was among the earliest countries to engage in talks and, among 25 countries sent courtesy letters, received the largest reduction, from 44 per cent to 30 per cent. He stated that the matter would continue to be handled diplomatically in the national interest, rather than through association-level positions or separate side discussions.
Verbatim record (translated)
Machine-translated from Sinhala / Tamil / English¶ 01 Mr. Deputy Speaker, a brief clarification. This is not merely an issue between Sri Lanka and the US; it is a general policy the US has adopted regarding global trade. The percentages quoted were not negotiated bilaterally country by country, but derived from a common formula based on the trade gap (imports versus exports). Up to 9th July, that common framework applied. Countries then engaged in talks; Sri Lanka was among the earliest. Courtesy letters were sent to 25 countries; among them, we received the largest reduction—from 44% to 30%. This is what should be recognized. This is not something to be handled via association positions or separate side talks. We will continue managing this diplomatically in the country’s best interest.
Provenance
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- Hansard, Friday, 11 July 2025 ·No. 1753082553092748 ·English daily/uncorrected Hansard
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Cite as: The Hon. (Dr.) Anil Jayantha - Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Economic Development. 10th Parliament, Parliament of Sri Lanka. Hansard, 11 July 2025. No. 1753082553092748. Politick, https://staging.politick.io/lk/speeches/21073