bilaterals.org logo
bilaterals.org logo
  1. Negotiations

Sri Lanka


Sri Lanka has preferential and free trade agreements with India, Pakistan, Iran, Egypt, Singapore and Israel. It is currently in the processing of upgrading its agreement with India to a much more comprehensive one.

Sri Lanka is also party to SAFTA, the agreement on a South Asia Free Trade Area, as well as BIMSTEC, which aims to hammer out a regional FTA.

last update: May 2012
Photo: Sri Lankan engineers' association

SL – Thailand FTA to be signed next March
25-Jul-2023     Reuters
Sri Lanka plans to complete free trade talks with Thailand by February and sign an agreement in March, Sri Lanka's cabinet spokesperson said, as part of an effort to expand trade as it emerges from economic turmoil.
Sri Lanka cabinet approves proposal on preferential trade agreement with Indonesia
12-Jul-2023     Xinhua Net
Sri Lanka's cabinet has approved a proposal to enter into a preferential trade agreement with Indonesia as a preliminary step to reach a long-term free trade agreement.
Sri Lanka possibly joining RCEP trade deal: ASEAN
16-Jun-2023     The Island Online
ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn on Wednesday met with the Sri Lankan presidential secretariat, led by the president’s senior economic adviser Dr. R.H.S. Samaratunga, in Jakarta.
Sri Lanka and Bangladesh to resume talks for bilateral trade deal this month
8-May-2023     Daily Mirror
Sri Lanka and Bangladesh plan to hold an introductory meeting virtually on 29th of this month to commence negotiations for the proposed preferential trade agreement (PTA), which is expected to eventually lead to a free trade agreement (FTA).
Sri Lanka to fast-track FTA with Thailand in bid to boost exports
24-Feb-2023     Economy Next
Sri Lanka’s cabinet of ministers has approved a proposal to fast-track a free trade agreement with Thailand in the hopes of increasing exports to the Asian nation.
Sri Lanka to fast-track FTA with Thailand in bid to boost exports
14-Feb-2023     Economynext
Sri Lanka’s cabinet of ministers has approved a proposal to fast-track a free trade agreement with Thailand in the hopes of increasing exports to the Asian nation, Cabinet Spokesman Minister Bandula Gunawardana said.
Govt. resumes measures to operationalise FTA with Singapore
20-Jan-2023     Daily Mirror
The government has resumed measures to operationalise the Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (SLSFTA) that came into effect in May 2018 which covers goods, services, investment, intellectual properties, telecommunications, e-commerce, trade facilitation, government procurement, competition and economic and technical co-operation.
China-Sri Lanka FTA: Will it benefit Sri Lanka in the long run?
17-Jan-2023     Colombo Gazette
The Chinese Minister of Commerce, Gao Hucheng, and the Sri Lankan Minister of Economic Development, Basil Rajapaksa, signed a memorandum on the launch of the free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations, officially announcing the launch of bilateral FTA negotiations.
Sri Lanka to restart trade deal talks with India, China and Thailand - official
5-Jan-2023     Reuters
Officials from Thailand are scheduled to arrive in Sri Lanka on Monday to start the third round of talks after negotiations were suspended in 2018, said K.J. Weerasinghe, Sri Lanka's Chief Negotiator of Free Trade Agreements (FTAs).
Sri Lanka looks to revive free trade deal with Singapore
28-Sep-2022     US News
Sri Lanka will step up efforts to revive a stalled free trade pact with Singapore, President Ranil Wickremesinghe told the city state's premier.