Second largest SAARC partner hungry for Lankan exports, FTA trade

Asian Tribune - 09/01/2014

Rishad Bathiudeen (Minister of Industry and Commerce) discusses with His Excellency Maj Gen Qasim Qureshi (Pakistan High Commissioner to Sri Lanka) on 07 January in Colombo.

Sri Lanka’s second largest trade partner in SAARC is hungry for more Lankan exports in the coming year-while also closely looking at Sri Lanka’s sugar sector for entry! ”Pakistan’s new GSP with EU is an opportunity for Sri Lankan exporters and they can do more things. In fact, we should jointly explore whatever is possible within the rules and regulations of these new developments!” stressed an upbeat Major Genenral Qasim Qureshi (Pakistan High Commissioner to Sri Lanka) on 07 January in Colombo.

High Commissioner Qureshi was addressing Rishad Bathiudeen Minister of Industry and Commerce on 07 January during his new-year courtesy call on Minister Bathiudeen at the Ministry of Industry and Commerce premises in Colombo 03.

Addressing Minister Bathiudeen, (HE) Qureshi revealed: “We believe that there is strong unrealized trade potential between both countries. Through the Joint Economic Commission, we annually review our trade progress of our FTA so that it becomes increasingly ‘commerce-friendly’ for both countries. And there is a trade imbalance between Pakistan and Sri Lanka and we want to reduce that. Which means that we should also explore avenues and ways in which more products from Sri Lanka are exported to Pakistan. So what we want to do is to expand the bilateral trade from the present annual level of $ 440 Mn to $ One billion in the coming years-perhaps even in a couple of years! The way to do this is by exploring areas where we can see new trading starts between the two countries in not just the traditional trade items but also to look at new items and new products. Also, Pakistan’s new GSP with EU is an opportunity for Sri Lankan exporters and they can do more things. Of course the rules of origin are from Pakistan. For example, Sri Lankan exporters can consider more raw material exports to Pakistani industries that are manufacturing to EU using this GSP. In fact, we should jointly explore whatever is possible within the rules and regulations of these new developments!”

According to the Department of Commerce, Pakistan is the second largest trading partner of Sri Lanka in the SAARC region after India. Lankan exports to Pakistan topped $ 42.97 Mn from January to June in 2013 and more importantly, registered a 27% surge from 2010’s $ 60.38 Mn to $ 82.75 Mn by 2012. A substantial growth in bilateral trade is seen in both exports and imports after the Free Trade Agreement between the two countries was implemented in 2005. The total trade has increased from US $ 158 Mn in 2005 to US $. 433.69 Mn in 2012 (and from January to June 2013, at $289.23 Mn). The balance of trade has always been in favour of Pakistan.

Speaking on investments, (HE) Qureshi said: “We are also looking into getting new investments from Pakistan to Sri Lanka because we think that it is not only just commerce but mutual investments too can strengthen bilateral economic relations. We are looking at some areas where we can bring investment from Pakistan to Sri Lanka and we are now keenly looking at the sugar industry in Sri Lanka for new investments.”

Sri Lanka spends around $ 60 Mn for sugar imports and imported $ 3.38 Mn of sugar from Pakistan in 2012. As for Pakistani investment in Sri Lanka, from 2005 to the third quarter of 2013, FDI from Pakistan to Sri Lanka stood at $ 7.5 Mn (cumulative) across 15 investment projects. In November 2013, Tarek M. Khan, President of Pakistan Sri Lanka Business Forum (PSLBF), meeting Minister Bathiudeen in Colombo, revealed that the Pakistani investors have a preference for Sri Lanka due to logistics and rapidly developing infrastructure.

Minister Bathiudeen, who praised Pakistan’s ongoing support to Sri Lanka at various times, responding to Qureshi, said: “It is with pleasure that our government observes that the Eleventh Sri Lanka-Pakistan trade talks concluded successfully on 27 November 2013, a day ahead, helped by the participation of Pakistani Federal Minister of Industries & Production, Ghulam Murtaza Jatoi.” Minister Bathiudeen added: “I believe that in the coming year we should maximize all opportunities presented by our FTA and enhance our bilateral trade levels. Our exporters are already leveraging the PSFTA and it is time our exporters try on new product exports since there are more than 4800 product lines available to them under this PSFTA. I and my officials welcome Pakistani investors and traders keen on Sri Lanka and are always ready to extend our fullest assistance.”

Pakistan's latest GSP with EU, opportunity for Sri Lankan exporters: Qureshi

Daily Mirror - 08/01/2014

Sri Lanka’s second largest trade partner in SAARC is looking for more Lankan exports in the coming year, while also eyeing Sri Lanka’s sugar sector entry,

”Pakistan’s new GSP with EU is an opportunity for Sri Lankan exporters, and they can do more things. In fact, we should jointly explore whatever is possible within the rules and regulations of t hese new developments, said Pakistan High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Major General Qasim Qureshi, addressing Industry and Commerce Minister Rishad Bathiudeen during his new-year courtesy call on the Minister.

Addressing Minister Bathiudeen, Qureshi said, “We believe that there is strong unrealized trade potential between both countries. Through the Joint Economic Commission, we annually review our trade progress of our FTA so that it becomes increasingly ‘commercefriendly’ for both countries. And there is a trade imbalance between Pakistan and Sri Lanka and we want to reduce that.

Which means that we should also explore avenues and ways in which more products from Sri Lanka are exported to Pakistan.”

“So what we want to do is to expand the bilateral trade from the present annual level of $ 440 million to $ 1 billion in the coming years-perhaps even in a couple of years.

The way to do this is by exploring areas where we can see new trading starts between the two countries in not just the traditional trade items but also to look at new items and new products.

Also, Pakistan’s new GSP with EU is an opportunity for Sri Lankan exporters and they can do more things. Of course the rules of origin are from Pakistan. For example, Sri Lankan exporters can consider more raw material exports to Pakistani industries that are manufacturing to EU using this GSP. In fact, we should jointly explore whatever is possible within the rules and regulations of these new developments.”

According to the Department of Commerce, Pakistan is the second largest trading partner of Sri Lanka in the SAARC region after India.

Lankan exports to Pakistan topped $ 42.97 mn from January to June in 2013 and more importantly, registered a 27 percent surge from 2010’s $ 60.38 mn to $ 82.75 mn by 2012. The total trade has increased from US $ 158 mn in 2005 to US $. 433.69 mn in 2012 (and from January to June 2013, at $289.23 mn). The balance of trade has always been in favour of Pakistan.

Speaking on investments, Qureshi said, “We are also looking into getting new investments from Pakistan to Sri Lanka because we think that it is not only just commerce but mutual investments too can strengthen bilateral economic relations.

We are looking at some areas where we can bring investment from Pakistan to Sri Lanka and we are now keenly looking at the sugar industry in Sri Lanka for new investments.”

“I believe that in the coming year, we should maximize all opportunities presented by our FTA and enhance our bilateral trade levels.

Our exporters are already leveraging the PSFTA and it is time our exporters try on new product exports since there are more than 4800 product lines available to them under this PSFTA,” Bathiudeen said.

ON A ROLL: GSP FOR TEN YEARS

EU, Lanka annual trade volume exceeds US$ 5 b

Daily News - 04/01/2014
By Chaminda Perera

Sri Lanka will continue to receive the benefit of the European Union (EU) GSP facility for another 10 years beginning from January this year, Industry and Commerce Minister Rishard Bathiudeen said yesterday.

He said the EU has been Sri Lanka’s largest trade partner next to the United States and the bilateral trade volume exceeds US $ 5 billion a year.

“Total trade between Sri Lanka and EU which was at US $ 3 billion in 2004 rose to US $ 4,946.18 million in 2012. Apparel, diamonds, tea and rubber products became the major export items,” he said.

The minister added that more than 87 countries have lost the EU GSP facility from this year with the activation of the new GSP Scheme approved by the European Parliament in June last year effective from January 1 , 2014.

“The number of countries that enjoyed this facility up to the end of 2013 has been reduced from 177 to 90 with the activation of the new GSP scheme,” he said.

The minister added that 20 countries that have achieved high and upper middle income levels will not receive preferential access to the EU market from this year.

Minister Bathiudeen said that EU is 500 million strong economy that holds a promise “The EU is also one of the most diversified investors in Sri Lanka, with leading European companies operating in almost all sectors of economy-specially, Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCGs), higher education, apparel, infrastructure, manufacturing, agro, technology and even in strategic development projects,” he said.

The minister added that there is an increase in terms of trade and balance of trade between Sri Lanka and European Union.

EU multinationals as Unilever and British American Tobacco are well established in Sri Lankan with their decades-long Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCGs).

‘Seven firms now in automotive assembly here’- Minister Rishad

news.lk - 02/01/2014

Export cess on rare earth/mineral sand were introduced to safeguard our industries –and no less than seven firms are now active in automotive assembly industry in Sri Lanka. “To safeguard domestic industries and to ensure a continuous supply of raw materials for local industries, we introduced exports cess on selected items.  And seven companies have ventured into the automobile assembly industry with a local value addition exceeding 30%” said Rishad Bathiudeen, Minister of Industry and Commerce on 10 December.

Minister Bathiudeen was making his Ministry’s Budget Statement on 10 December at Parliament, which was tabled by him.

Elaborating on the introduction of measures to safeguard domestic industries and on local automotive assembly, Minister Bathiudeen said: “Taking into consideration the requests made by the Division on behalf of industrialists, the Cess on several items was increased / imposed such as, fresh, preserved, dried vegetables and fruits/ other vegetable and fruit products (to protect the local processed food industry), edible oils, margarine, sausage or preserved meat products, honey & jaggery, confectionaries, bakery products, food preparations, mineral water, vinegar, salt, among others. In order to safeguard domestic industries to ensure a continuous supply of raw materials for local industries and to encourage the export of value added goods by discouraging the export of items in raw form, the Cess on Cinnamon, cloves, natural sands, quartz, clay, phosphate stones (emery, corundum), stones (gravel, pebbles etc.), mica, steatite, ilmanite, rutile, Titanium, Zirconium, Niobium, Tantalum, Vanadium etc. was increased, to facilitate domestic industries. Also exempted from the payment of excise duty on Locally assembled / manufactured motor vehicles and electrical items that come under the HS headings 84 and 85, which achieve a Local Value Addition (LVA) of above 30%.  From the time that the first batch of vehicles was granted the duty exemption in 2008, seven companies have ventured into the automobile assembly industry with 17 models of vehicles being assembled by the seven local companies totalling to over 6,000 vehicles with a LVA exceeding 30%.”

 Addressing the House on his Ministry’s utilization rates, Minister Bathiudeen said: “I am pleased to say that our actual recurrent expenditure up to 30th September 2013, stood at Rs 374.92 Million, which is a utilization rate of 66%. Our capital expenditure up to 30th September 2013, stood at Rs 518.6 Million, which is a utilization rate of 31%.  The grand total actual expenditure of both recurrent and capital are Rs 893.5 Million up to 30th September 2013.


These funds were fruitfully utilized by my Ministry’s committed divisions, departments, funds and projects -among them are, the Industrial Policy & Development Division, Regional Industrial Development Division, Development Divisions  1, 2,and 3, the Productivity Improvement, Industry Registration and Management Information Division, National Authority for the Implementation of Chemical Weapons Convention, Corporations & Statutory Boards Division and organisations under it, Small and Micro Industries Leader and Entrepreneur Promotion Project III Revolving Fund (SMILE III Revolving Fund), Textile Industry Development Division, Department of Textile Industries (DTI), the Department of Commerce (DOC), Department of Registrar of Companies, National Intellectual Property Office, and the Sri Lanka Export Development Board.

Sri Lanka’s Garment Exports to EU, US Jumps 30% in Sept’13

The exports of garments from the island nation of Sri Lanka to its major export destinations of the EU and the US recorded a remarkable growth of 30.7 percent year-on-year and 32.2 percent year-on-year, respectively, in September 2013, according to a press release issued by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka.
The sharp growth in Sri Lankan apparel exports to the EU and the US reflect the recovery in those economies, the statement said.

Sri Lanka’s textiles and garment sector as a whole posted a significant growth of 27.7 percent year-on-year during the month to register US$ 386.9 million, according to the Central Bank data.
From January to September 2013, Sri Lanka’s total textiles and apparel exports stood at US$ 3.126 billion, showing a rise of 5.2 percent over exports of US$ 2.972 billion made during the corresponding period of last year.

In 2012, Sri Lanka exported textiles and apparels worth US$ 3.8 billion, and the country has set a target of achieving US$ 4.1 billion in textiles and garment exports this year.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka’s textile and clothing imports are showing a declining trend. In September 2013, the country imported textile goods worth US$ 174 million, registering a decrease of 3.1 percent year-on-year.
During the first nine months of the current year, Sri Lanka’s textile and garment imports declined by 8.6 percent to US$ 1.502 billion compared to imports of US$ 1.644 billion made during the same period last year.

Last month, Central Bank’s Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal said the apparel manufacturing sector in Sri Lanka may face a shortage of skilled labour within the next 2-3 years, due to the country’s anticipated transition into a middle-income country, and advised the country’s garment industry to prepare for the changes in the same way as it prepared for dealing with the discontinuation of the GSP Plus.

Source: Srilanka Apparel

Export earnings increase to record levels in October

Daily News - 04/12/2013

The external sector strengthened further with the trade deficit contracting sharply in October 2013,the Central Bank said yesterday. Earnings from exports increased to record levels, reflecting the ongoing recovery in the global economy, while expenditure on imports declined. The contraction of the trade deficit, higher inflows to the services account and an increase in private transfers contributed to reducing the current account deficit.

The favourable developments in the external sector together with higher inflows to the financial account, resulted in the Balance of Payments (BOP) recording an estimated surplus during the first ten months of 2013, compared to the deficit recorded during the corresponding period of 2012, the Central Bank said yesterday.

Earnings from exports in October 2013 reached US dollars 1,041 million, the highest ever monthly value recorded in the history of Sri Lanka's exports.

This growth was led by industrial exports followed by agricultural exports. Earnings from industrial exports in October 2013, which account for more than 74 per cent of total exports, increased by 34 per cent on a year-on year basis to US dollars 771 million mainly due to higher export of textiles and garments.

Earnings from textiles and garments exports grew by 46.8 per cent, year-on-year, to US dollars 436 million in October 2013, which was the highest monthly value of export of garment and textiles ever recorded. Exports of garments to both the EU and USA, which are Sri Lanka's major export destinations, recorded remarkable growth rates of 53.2 per cent and 43.4 per cent, respectively in October 2013, reflecting the recovery in those economies as well as seasonal demand.

Meanwhile, earnings from rubber product exports increased by 50.1 per cent, year-on-year, to US dollars 94 million in October 2013, the highest monthly value since August 2012, led by higher exports of rubber tyres.

All categories of industrial exports, except gems diamonds and jewellery, animal fodder and petroleum products grew in October 2013. Earnings from agricultural exports rose by 37.4 per cent, year-on-year, to US dollars 258 million in October 2013 mainly due to an increase in export earnings from tea followed by spices. Earnings from tea exports recorded a healthy growth of 26.6 per cent to US dollars 147 million in October 2013. This was the combined outcome of a 13.6 per cent increase in export volumes and an increase in the average export price of tea by 11.4 per cent. Earnings from the export of spices increased significantly by 79.9 per cent to US dollars 41 million led by pepper and cinnamon exports. Continuing the strong performance recorded since June 2013, the volume of both pepper and cinnamon exports increased substantially although prices of those commodities declined, year-on-year. However, in October 2013 rubber export earnings contracted by 29.0 per cent compared to October 2012, due to the continuing decline in both export volumes and prices, owing to low demand from major rubber consumers, such as China and Japan.

Expenditure on imports declined by 2.8 per cent to US dollars 1,535 million in October 2013, due to the significant decline in both intermediate and investment goods imports. Expenditure on intermediate goods imports declined by 7.8 per cent, year-on-year, to US dollars 897 million in October 2013 mainly due to the decline in the importation of fuel and textiles. Expenditure on the importation of petroleum products declined in October 2013 due to the availability of sufficient stocks from previous months. Despite the strong growth in export of textiles and garments, there has been a steady decline in imports of textile and textile articles, reflecting improved backward linkages and higher value addition in the garment industry. Lower import of diamonds and precious stones and metals, rubber and articles also contributed to the decline in intermediate goods imports. However, fertilizer imports increased sharply by 110.7 per cent year-on-year, to US dollars 27 million in October 2013, mainly due to the low base in the corresponding period in 2012 and to ensure availability of adequate stocks for the upcoming Maha season. In October 2013, import expenditure on investment goods declined by 6.8 per cent, year-on-year, to US dollars 351 million mainly due to the decline in machinery and equipment imports by 16.5 per cent and a decline in transport equipment imports by 11.0 per cent although building materials imports increased by 13.4 per cent. Meanwhile, expenditure on consumer goods imports recorded a 25.6 per cent growth, year-on-year, to US dollars 286 million in October 2013 with increases recorded in both food and non-food consumer goods categories. Vehicle imports, mainly contributed to the increase in consumer goods imports, recording a year-on-year increase of 150.7 per cent in October 2013. Dairy products, clothing and accessories, Oils and fats, medical and pharmaceuticals and household and furniture items also contributed to the increase in consumer goods imports.

Lanka exports jump in October

Asian Tribune - 24/11/2013

Top officials join Rishad Bathiudeen (Minister of Industry and Commerce) to review exports at the Ministry of Industry and Commerce.

Sri Lanka is hopeful as exports continue to surge with latest volumes showing a promising uptrend. “The export trend in September is continuing. The 3% exports increase in October is higher than expected” said a pleased Rishad Bathiudeen, Minister of Industry and Commerce on 22 November.

Minister Bathiudeen was acknowledging the latest export numbers for October 2013 indicated to him by his top officials on 22 November at the Ministry of Industry and Commerce.

Accordingly, the January-October 2013 exports turnover increased by 3.07% to $ 8379.93 Mn in comparison to Jan-October 2012’s $ 8130.20 Mn.

According to the provisional data provided by the EDB, apparels rose by a strong 9.39% to $ 3549.94 Mn, while Industrial products rose by 2.32% to $ 6139.64 Mn. Agricultural and tea increased strongly- Agro product exports rose by 8.63% to $ 2015.85 Mn while tea exports also rose by 8.96% to $ 1237.82 Mn.

Other export crops such as spices, vegetables, fruits joined the trend, rising overall by 42% to $ 430.01 Mn.

Even fisheries products has increased by 15.03% to $196.35 Mn!