Saturday Apr 19, 2025
Saturday Apr 19, 2025
Friday, 18 April 2025 00:02 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
The Department of Commerce (DoC), in collaboration with the Sri Lanka High Commission in London, UK, organised an awareness webinar titled “Business Opportunities in the UK and Ireland,” held on 1 April.
The webinar attracted more than 100 participants representing a number of export sectors including apparel, IT and tech, Ceylon tea, processed foods, spices, cosmetics, and rubber products, as well as reputed trade chambers, industry associations, and business entities that express business interest in these two markets.
Sri Lanka High Commission in the UK Minister – Commercial Somasena Mahadiulwewa made a comprehensive presentation during the webinar, providing valuable insights into the UK and Irish markets. The presentation covered key areas such as opportunities and challenges for Sri Lankan exporters, existing and potential products, investments, and preferential trade, particularly under the UK’s Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS) and the EU GSP+ for Ireland. The presentation was also followed by a Q&A session, where participants had the opportunity to seek clarifications for their concerns and discussed issues in detail.
The UK is the second largest export destination of Sri Lanka. In 2024, Sri Lanka’s exports to the UK exceeded the value of $ 900 million. Total trade between the UK and Sri Lanka has been over $ 1 billion in 2024. Further, Sri Lanka’s total trade with Ireland is nearing $ 100 million in 2024.
The webinar with the UK is the second of the ongoing “Talk to the Commercial Officers” webinar series organised by the DoC with the objective of keeping exporters informed and connected with the Commercial Officers based in Sri Lanka Missions abroad. Further, the initiative is expected to contribute to strengthen Sri Lanka’s position in international markets.
The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce provided technical support to conduct the webinar successfully.
