NCE leads delegation to Australia on business promotion

The National Chamber of Exporters of Sri Lanka (NCE), the only private sector Chamber which exclusively serves Sri Lankan exporters, took a delegation of Sri Lankan exporters to Melbourne, Australia, led by NCE Secretary General Shiham Marikar, from 19-23 November.

The Companies which comprised the delegation are: Midaya Ceramic Company Limited; Macksons Paints Industries; DSI Group; Alwis Agro Exports Ltd.; Abdulla International Ltd.; Development Interplan Ceylon Ltd.; Warna Exporters Ltd.; Suntech Information Technologies Ltd.; and Uniceyl Marketing Services Ltd.

The objective of the Chamber was to promote two-way trade between Sri Lanka and Australia, particularly exports from Sri Lanka to Australia, and also to explore possibilities of sourcing inputs that could be used for exports, including machinery and equipment and processing technologies. Joint Venture Investment opportunities were also explored. 

Currently, total trade between Sri Lanka and Australia stands at $ 360 million (2016 figures) with exports amounting to $ 164 million, and imports amounting to $ 196 million (2016 figures). As such, there is much potential for the expansion of trade between the two countries. The main exports from Sri Lanka to Australia currently comprise: apparel, tea packets, pneumatic & re-treaded rubber tyres and tubes, coconut oil, footwear, industrial & surgical gloves of rubber, processed foods, wall tiles, motor vehicles & parts, and made-up textile articles, while the main imports by Sri Lanka from Australia comprise: edible vegetables, cereals, machinery & mechanical appliances, paper & paper board articles, live animals, tanning or dyeing extracts, lead and articles thereof, edible fruits & nuts, and edible preparations.  The NCE coordinated with the Sri Lankan Missions in Melbourne and Sydney Australia, in regard to arrangements for meetings for the delegates with the relevant business counterparts in Australia, as well as other activities prior to embarkation of the delegation. The Chamber also assisted the delegates in providing supportive documents to obtain their visas.  The delegation conducted meetings and discussions with the relevant Trade Chambers and Associations in Australia. They also conducted discussions with the relevant business counterparts and end users of their respective product lines, to explore opportunities for business development. Prior to undertaking Business to Business (B2B) meetings with counterparts, members of the delegation held preliminary discussions with the Sri Lankan Trade Counsellors in Melbourne and Sydney at a general briefing session, related to their business profiles and interests, which had been sent to them beforehand. 

Among the important activities undertaken by the Delegation were the following:

 

•  Meetings with the Victorian Government Investment Centre
•  Meetings with Customs Brokers, to seek clarifications related to Customs and Bio Security requirements for imports into Australia, particularly in regard to quarantine issues. This discussion was arranged by Mohan Perera, a former Vice President of the Chamber currently resident in Australia
•  Meetings with Export Council of Australia’s Research Head and Victoria State Manager, followed by B2B meetings with relevant business counterparts
•  Visit to the International Sourcing Expo, including the footwear and leather show, at the Convention and Exhibition Centre in Melbourne 
•  Networking session with Australian business contacts, arranged by the Sri Lankan Missions in Melbourne and Sydney.
•  Meetings with the Printing Industries Association in Australia
•  Meetings with the Victorian Chamber of Commerce & Industries 
•  A discussion with Council Members and important business contacts of the Sri Lanka Australia Business Council
•  A meeting with Bunning Hardware in respect of selected sectors, arranged by NCE Foreign Trade Representative Kapila de Silva, based in Australia
  
   

The Chamber will aggressively follow up on the discussions and activities undertaken during the visit, to expand international trade between Sri Lanka and Australia, in coordination with the delegates of the Sri Lankan Missions in Melbourne and Sydney, and the Foreign Trade Representatives of the Chamber in Australia. 

The Chamber plans a follow-up visit to Sydney during early 2019. Interested companies are requested to contact the Chamber via email at [email protected]