Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning Dr. Anil Jayantha Fernando says Sri Lanka remains confident that ongoing discussions with the United States will address concerns related to reciprocal tariffs and proposed supply-chain regulations.
Speaking on recent reports regarding potential U.S. trade measures, Dr. Fernando noted that the issue remains under discussion and that no additional tariff has been imposed on Sri Lanka at this stage.
His remarks follow reports that the U.S. administration is considering additional duties ranging from 10% to 12.5% on imports from around 60 countries, including Sri Lanka, as part of investigations into alleged forced labour practices within global supply chains.
The Deputy Minister explained that the United States had earlier introduced reciprocal tariff measures aimed at addressing trade imbalances, which also affected Sri Lanka. He added that discussions are ongoing regarding a possible uniform 10% tariff framework under broader revisions to U.S. trade policy.
According to Dr. Fernando, Sri Lanka has been actively engaging with U.S. authorities through diplomatic and official channels since the issue emerged and expects negotiations on reciprocal tariff arrangements to reach a conclusion in the near future.
He rejected claims that a 12.5% tariff has already been imposed on Sri Lankan exports, describing such reports as “false and misleading.”
The Deputy Minister said the reported measures are linked to wider U.S. investigations into global supply chains, particularly concerns regarding forced labour in production networks. He noted that the investigations cover approximately 60 countries, including Sri Lanka, several Asian economies, and a number of developed nations.
Sri Lanka, he said, fully supports international standards against forced labour and has established legal and regulatory safeguards to ensure compliance throughout its supply chains.
A special committee chaired by the Secretary to the Ministry of Trade and operating with Cabinet approval is currently coordinating Sri Lanka’s response and engagement with U.S. authorities.
Dr. Fernando stated that the government is providing relevant information to U.S. investigators and taking steps to ensure that products linked to forced labour do not enter Sri Lanka’s export supply chains.
He also pointed out that countries such as India, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippines, Thailand, Australia, China, Canada, members of the European Union, Israel, Japan, and the United Kingdom are among those included in the review due to the interconnected nature of global supply chains.
Reiterating that no new tariff has been imposed on Sri Lanka, the Deputy Minister expressed confidence that the matter can be resolved through continued dialogue and urged the public not to be influenced by inaccurate reports circulating on the issue.
