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EDB Chairman and CEO Bandula Egodage addressing the media at the Kunming Fair briefing. Also present are EDB ADG Jeevani Siriwardene (far left), EDB ED Dr. Yousuf Maraikkar (second from left) and EDB Acting DG Himali Jinadasa (third from left)
Several Sri Lankan businesses, facilitated by the Exports Development Board (EDB), showcased their strength at the recent Kunming international fair in China, notching up an initial income surpassing $ 2 million.
Some eager Lankan firms are still continuing in the mainland, having been asked by keen Chinese firms to stay back and conclude initial agreements for future business.
“Minister of Industry and Commerce Rishad Bathiudeen and I led the Lankan delegation to the Kunming Fair and this was a national level business delegation to China. The participation produced successful spot sales, new orders and more exports for Lankan businesses,” EDB Chairman and CEO Bandula Egodage announced on 30 June in Colombo.
Egodage was addressing a special media briefing on Sri Lanka’s performance at the recently-concluded third China-South Asia Exposition (CSAE) in Kunming, China at EDB on 30 June. The third CSAE and 23rd China Import and Export Fair concluded on 16 June. It is a comprehensive international expo approved by the State Council of China. With the collaboration of the Sri Lanka Embassy in Beijing and the Sri Lanka Consulate in Chengdu, the Sri Lanka Export Development Board organised the Sri Lanka pavilion with 125 stalls at the CSAE showcasing Lankan gem and jewellery, tea, coconut products, spices, organic products, handcrafts, batiks, ceramic products, etc.
Minister Bathiudeen addressed the 10th China South Asia Business Forum on 12 June and also unveiled the Lankan pavilion on the same day. Also taking part at the session were representatives from firms in the Lankan Kunming delegation.
Accordingly, the evaluations submitted by only 30 of 127 Lankan participating institutions on 30 June at the Kunming Fair showed $ 1.2 million in confirmed spot sales, $ 850,000 confirmed orders and 728 business inquiries for future links.
Three Lankan firms that were part of the 2015 delegation to Kunming are still active in China at this moment, negotiating with various Chinese firms who expressed a willingness to establish import links and inking deals. As some other participating firms are yet to submit their sales details, the $ 1.2 million spot sales numbers are initial and expected to rise further as more filings are made.
Several Lankan tea firms secured agents in China in Kunming and Shanghai, two business agreements for distribution signed (tea and virgin coconut oil). Business contacts were also established with firms from Nepal, France and the US.
Representatives who were part of the delegation also revealed that Shenzhen Global Purchase E-commerce had chosen Ceylon Tea and Ceylon Ceramic to be listed in their online product catalogues.
“260 representatives from 122 private sector and five government sector organisations took part from Sri Lanka,” said Egodage.
“The participation produced successful spot sales, new orders and more exports for Lankan businesses. The Sri Lanka pavilion was visited by a large number of visitors for all five days. Tea sector companies were able to establish positive trade contacts and gem and jewellery sector and handicraft sector companies were able to make spot sales.
“The best performing sectors at this event in Kunming were gems and jewellery, handicrafts products, value added tea and coconut based products. The export community in Sri Lanka, especially the SME sector, is looking forward to this annual event as this gives them an opportunity to gain overseas experience at a low cost and make spot sales. This event also provided a good platform to create awareness about investment possibilities in Sri Lanka among the Chinese business community.”
The theme of the third CSAE was ‘Amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness as well as win-win cooperation’. The third CSAE was ceremonially opened by Chinese Vice President Li Yuanchao and the event was held at the Kunming Dianchi International Convention and Exhibition Centre (KDICEC).
