ISDS Case Map
Sri Lanka
The US-Sri Lanka TIFA Council discussed issues affecting US exports, such as Sri Lanka's agricultural biotechnology policies, import tariffs, intellectual property rights protection, and transparency in government procurement.
The second round of negotiations between Srilanka and Pakistan on Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) starts in Islamabad today (Tuesday).
Talks for an agreement on enhanced market access for service sectors between India and Sri Lanka are at an advanced stage and are likely to be concluded by the month-end.
The Sri Lankan government is forging ahead with the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) which will facilitate the entry here of two Indian banks - Bank of Baroda and Axis Bank, according to senior officials at the Central Bank.
The trade agreement has opened central Asian countries adjacent to Pakistan to new Sri Lankan exports.
President Pervez Musharraf and President Mahinda Rajapakse of Sri Lanka on Friday agreed on improving their trade and commerce ties with specific focus on continuing Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
The government move on lowering customs duty on edible oils for pushing down its prices has started yielding positive results. On the heels of getting a huge relief from reduced import duty on crude palm oil (CPO) from 45% to 20%, which serves as raw material of vanaspati, vegetable fat producers have slashed their product prices by Rs 4-5/kg.
The European Union has told Sri Lanka it has "very serious concerns" about civil war human rights abuses and that lucrative trade concessions could be at risk if they continue.
A new study on a south Asian regional trade deal has said Sri Lanka will gain more in the next phase of liberalisation but the island's private sector representatives have expressed scepticism about the outcome.
India's Minister of Commerce was in Colombo last week. He had the usual few words to say about the benefits that are supposed to have accrued to pretty much everybody since the entry into force of the free trade agreement with Sri Lanka in 2000. Unfortunately, the story isn't so simple. Taking a closer look at what has happened in practice would prompt even the most ardent believer to question the undoubtedly beguiling theory of free trade.
