National Chamber to host French Ambassador on 10 May

French Ambassador to Sri Lanka Jean-Marin Schuh will be the Special Guest Speaker in ‘Meet the Ambassador’ program on ‘Bilateral Trade Between Sri Lanka & France’ on Thursday 10 May at the Chamber from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., No. 450 DR Wijewardene Mawatha Colombo 10. The Ambassador will be accompanied by Deputy Head of Mission and the Commercial Counsellor. The participants will get an opportunity to have a close dialogue with them and get information on trade matters and services available for Sri Lankans.

France, known for its glamour and fashion, with names like – Dior, Chanel, Champagne, and cars – Renault, Peugeot, Citroen, boasts of world famous symbols – Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triumph, the Louvre, Notre Dame, and the legendary Napoleon Bonaparte of France. 

The Government has partially or fully privatised many large companies, including Air France, France Telecom, Renault, but controls some sectors, particularly power, public transport, and defence industries. With more than 84 million foreign tourists per year, France is the most visited country in the world and maintains the third largest income in the world from tourism. France is one of the major tourist providers to Sri Lanka, and is one of the most important trading partners for Sri Lanka, accounting for $ 460.89 million worth of total trade turn over in 2016 which is the highest compared with the previous years. French companies are also focused on aeronautics, water management/supply, urban transportation, port facilities, and tourism.

Export goods include machinery and transportation equipment, aircraft, plastics, chemicals, pharmaceutical products, iron and steel, and beverages.     

Import goods are machinery and equipment, vehicles, crude oil, aircraft, plastics, chemicals.

Sri Lanka’s exports to France are apparels, vulcanised rubber, fish, coconut, retreaded or used pneumatic tyres of rubber, tea, etc., precious stones (other than diamonds) and semi-precious stones.

Sri Lanka’s imports from France are aircrafts, medicaments, optical, photographic, cinematographic, measuring, medical or surgical instruments.

Potential exportable items to France are textile materials, ladies and babies garments, t-shirts, knitted or crocheted, men’s or boys’ trousers, rubies, sapphires, emeralds, vulcanised rubber, etc.

For registration kindly contact chamber: Tel. 011-4741788 Mrs Fouad [email protected]; nimani @nationalchamber.lk.