Cabinet Spokesman Minister Nalinda Jayatissa says discussions with the United States Government on the trade tariffs announced by the Donald Trump administration have not ended.
Addressing the post-Cabinet media briefing today, Minister Jayatissa said the Sri Lankan delegation remains in the US and that discussions with the US officials were continuing.
When asked why a joint statement has not been issued yet on the discussions, Minister Jayatissa said such a statement will be issued once an agreement is reached between both parties.
“I cannot tell when the joint statement will be issued. However, the discussions have not concluded; they are still continuing. An official statement will be issued once an agreement is reached,” he added.
Recently, the Government of Sri Lanka issued an official statement on the ongoing talks, stating that a Sri Lankan delegation met with US Trade Representative Ambassador Jamieson Greer on 22 April at the US Trade Representative Office in Washington, D.C.
The government said the delegation updated Ambassador Greer on the challenges Sri Lanka has faced in the past and the steps that are been taken by the Government of Sri Lanka to overcome future challenges and move towards full economic recovery. The Sri Lankan delegation also highlighted the prompt and positive commitment of the Government of Sri Lanka to work with the US Government in reducing the trade deficit and lowering tariff and non-tariff barriers.
The government noted that Ambassador Greer was appreciative of the proposals that Sri Lanka has made to commence negotiations and expressed the hope that an agreement can be reached soon between the two countries to ensure fair and equitable trade relations.
It was further revealed that the Sri Lankan delegation met with the USTR delegation appointed by Ambassador Greer, led by Assistant United States Trade Representative in charge of South and Central Asia, Brendan Lynch, along with Director in charge of South Asia, Emily Ashby, to discuss further the offer made in writing by Sri Lanka to the US.
Despite the Sri Lankan Government having issued an official statement on the discussions, the US Government has yet to issue a statement, while a joint statement is also yet to be issued.
The Sri Lankan delegation is currently engaged in discussions with the US Trade Representative’s Office after the Donald Trump administration imposed 44% reciprocal tariffs on Sri Lankan goods under Trump’s revised trade policy, effective from 09 April 2025.
The move, described by the U.S. as a reciprocal measure in response to what it claims are Sri Lanka’s 88% trade barriers on American goods, placed Sri Lanka among the countries facing the highest tariff rates globally.
Soon after, in a surprise move, US President Donald Trump said he is applying a 90-day pause on new tariffs as his trade war shakes the world economy. The White House Press Secretary, Karoline Leavitt, announced that the pause means a “universal 10%” tariff will be in place for all countries, other than China. (Newswire)