Keen Lankan interest for today’s DoC ‘Export to Sweden’ event

Industry and Commerce Minister Rishad Bathiudeen greets a delegation member from the Swedish National Board of Trade in Colombo yesterday as New Delhi-based Swedish Political Affairs Counsellor Anna Uggla (centre) looks on 

Demand from the Sri Lankan private sector and exporters to join the Department of Commerce’s pioneering session today on exporting to the Nordic region’s most dynamic market, surged by last evening with more than 100 corporates and institutions thronging to register for the event.

 “This is great news for our trade-way-forward with Sweden,” said Industry and Commerce Minister Rishad Bathiudeen yesterday in Colombo. 

Minister Bathiudeen was addressing the New Delhi-based Swedish Political Affairs Counsellor Anna Uggla, who is leading a three-member team of experts from the Swedish National Board of Trade (SNBT) to Colombo. 

The SNBT team will commence their Exporting to Sweden session with the Department of Commerce today at the World Trade Centre’s BOI Auditorium. Joining last evening’s meeting was Secretary General of the Sweden-Sri Lanka Business Council Leif Ohlson and Secretary to the Ministry of Industry and Commerce Chinthana Lokuhetti, among others.

 “We thank the Government of Sweden for helping us in this pioneering event. We warmly welcome members of the Swedish National Board of Trade who are here to help our exporters and would-be exporters to get into this dynamic market,” said Minister Bathiudeen yesterday. 

“I am pleased to say that as of today 14 February evening, more than 100 Sri Lankan firms and government agencies have registered for the 15 February session in Colombo by the Department of Commerce with SNBT. We are also looking for Sweden’s support to improve our agro and food sector technologies to increase our quality of exports to Sweden. This forum can help increase the quality of our exports and volumes to Sweden,” he added.

Sri Lanka’s exports to Sweden surged marginally from $ 64 million in 2015 to $ 69 million in 2016.

 “We are looking to help Sri Lankan exporters better position themselves for the Swedish market and to improve the quality of exports as well,” said Counsellor Uggla. 

“Sri Lanka’s organic food supplies are impressive for the Swedish market and very attractive. We want to continue. We are looking to train Lankan exporters on the “mandatory requirements for exporting to Sweden” during the February 15 session and this is essential for anyone trying to enter our competitive market. Our agency, the SNBT, is one of the pioneering international trade advisory bodies in the world-starting way back in 1651,” he added.

 Sweden is the largest economy in the Nordic region. It is the 30th largest export destination of Sri Lanka and the eighth-largest destination of the EU region for Sri Lanka’s exports.

The main Lankan exports to Sweden include apparel, rubber products, tea, coconut kernel-based value added products, activated carbon, toys, ceramic ornaments and processed food. Today’s Export to Sweden session is scheduled to focus on exporting Lankan food products to Sweden.