A Sri Lankan delegation is scheduled to meet United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on Tuesday (22 Apr) for a discussion to negotiate the recently announced tariffs by US President Donald Trump, Deputy Minister of Economic Development, Anil Jayantha Fernando said.
According to the Sunday Times, Deputy Minister Anil Jayantha Fernando said an exchange of letters with the United States Trade Representative has resulted in the meeting.
The Sri Lankan delegation attending the meeting consists of officials from the Foreign Ministry, the Trade Ministry, and the Finance Ministry.
Meanwhile, Export Development Board (EDB) Chairman Mangala Wijesinghe says renegotiating tariff rates with the US was essential for Sri Lanka to build up enough foreign reserves to meet the debt repayment commitments in 2028.
Mangala Wijesinghe, a member of the committee appointed to study and advise the government on the US tariffs, further said that apart from appealing on the basis of Sri Lanka’s IMF programme and debt payments, increasing US imports to Sri Lanka would be a point of discussion.
Sri Lanka has already held two rounds of virtual discussions with the Office of the United States Trade Representative as part of efforts to address reciprocal tariffs imposed by the US.
The attempts were taken as part of Sri Lanka’s efforts aimed at reducing its trade deficit with the US and addressing the 44% tariff imposed by US President Donald Trump’s administration.
The tariff, described as a combination of import duties and non-tariff barriers, was calculated based on the trade deficit between the two countries.
The Trump administration has announced a 90-day pause on global tariffs, providing a grace period for countries such as Sri Lanka. (Newswire)