July 10, Colombo (LNW): In a move set to shake international trade relations, Sri Lanka has been named amongst a group of countries targeted by the United States for newly imposed tariffs.
The announcement, made by US President Donald Trump on his social media platform, outlined a fresh series of trade penalties that will come into force on August 01.
The new tariffs, part of a broader economic push by the White House, will see Sri Lankan exports to the US subjected to a 30 per cent duty—the highest tier applied in this round. Iraq, Algeria, and Libya also face the same rate, while the Philippines, Brunei, and Moldova are slated for slightly lower levies at 25 per cent.
Trump personally issued formal notices to the respective heads of state, confirming the measures, and signalled further action may be imminent. He indicated that more countries would soon be added to the growing list, stating online that additional announcements were expected the same day.
This escalation follows on the heels of an earlier round of tariffs introduced just days prior, affecting imports from 14 other nations, including major Asian economies such as Bangladesh, South Korea, and Japan. Rates in that batch reached as high as 40 per cent.
Sri Lanka’s inclusion underscores the widening scope of the US president’s increasingly protectionist trade policy, which had paused temporarily following a turbulent market response. That 90-day hiatus, which began in April following the declaration of what Trump called “Liberation Day,” officially ends this week.
During the pause, the US administration managed to conclude trade arrangements with a limited number of partners, including the UK and Vietnam, while negotiating a short-term agreement with China to ease some of the more severe restrictions.
Despite earlier uncertainty, Trump has now confirmed that the new tariffs will take effect on schedule, with no further delays or exemptions planned. As the August implementation date nears, affected countries—including Sri Lanka—face mounting pressure to respond amid increasing volatility in global trade.
